Unfortunate
by Little Miss Writing Prodigy
Summary: While battling Hawk Moth, Ladybug and Chat Noir end up somewhere they never expected to be...or even exist.
1. Chapter 1

_**Yes, yes, the title is a pun on Miss Fortune, blame Chat.**_

* * *

If someone were to ask Ladybug how she ended up in this situation, she'd say her luck had finally ran out.

If someone were to ask Chat Noir, he wouldn't even give a straight answer; he'd just motion to himself and the fact that he was a _black cat._

So now, as they stood in front of Hawk Moth, bruised and exhausted, their Miraculous almost running out. Neither of them knew what to do.

The masked man grinned at the two teenage heroes, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he twirled his cane. Multiple white butterflies stopped and turned black all at once, shifting their position and moving straight towards the two.

The Akumas circled them, Ladybug didn't know how, but they managed to separate her and Chat. The hero watched as her partner got pushed roughly on his knees in front of Hawk Moth. She couldn't do anything to help him; whenever she tried, the Akumas would close in on her, slowly suffocating her.

Hawk Moth crouched down in front of Chat and despite the situation they were in, the boy was still daring (or _stupid_ ) enough to growl at him.

The villain ignored him, instead focusing on what he had been trying to get for _two years_ now. "Finally, your Miraculous is mine," he said, voice gravelly and dark.

He roughly grabbed Chat's hand, slamming his cane hard into the hero's side when he pulled away. Ladybug screamed as her partner hit the ground, but he still managed to turn his head and shoot her a weak smile and wink.

She was panicking, _hating_ the feeling of weakness she had. She was _Ladybug,_ damn it! She was supposed to be powerful and smart and heroic! She was supposed to be able to save her partner and their Miraculous!

But she couldn't, she had already used her Lucky Charm (which hadn't helped, Hawk Moth attacked and destroyed it before she could use it) and Tikki was too weak to do anything else.

Hawk Moth circled Chat, kicking him down each time he tried to get up. The masked villain dropped his cane and grabbed Chat's hand again, slowly pulling the ring from his fingers and unintentionally dropping his control on the Akumas holding Ladybug back.

And for once, she acted without thinking.

The bug-themed hero threw her yo-yo, hitting Hawk Moth straight in the head and knocking him down; more from surprise than actual pain.

Despite her injuries, she ran towards her friend and pulled him up, forcing herself to ignore the pain as she dragged him with her.

He was hurt, badly.

Hawk Moth growled and send multiple Akumas their way, heading straight for Chat Noir. He was injured in worse ways than Ladybug, he was an easy target. Besides, once he was down it would be easy to take down Ladybug; she'd be too distracted by his well-being to fight back.

...Or she would be fueled with rage and actually able to defeat Hawk Moth, but that was a risk he was willing to take.

Chat drew his staff, twirling it around quickly to block the incoming Akumas, it wouldn't help though. He was way to weak to do anything, his stance was off and he nearly dropped his weapon multiple times.

So Ladybug acted without thinking again.

As the Akumas got closer, she pushed him out of the way, not realizing they were standing a little too close to the large window. She held on to him as they slammed against it, the glass must've been very fragile because it broke on impact and the two heroes fell through it.

Ladybug held on to the edge of the broken window with one hand, shards of glass digging through her suit and into her hand. The deep red of the blood clashed with the cheerful red of her suit and pain shot through her delicate hand, but she wasn't about to let go any time soon.

She grabbed Chat's weapon with the other hand; thankful for the extra strength Tikki gave her as Ladybug. Had she just been Marinette, she wouldn't have been able to hold both her and Chat up. Hell, she would've struggled to hold just _herself_ with all these injuries!

Chat looked at the ground nervously, his grip on his staff tightening as instinctual fear kicked in. Had they been under any other circumstances, he would've commented on the nice view of Paris.

He looked down again, it was a long fall, one that would mean instant death. But as he looked back up at Ladybug struggling to hold on for both their lives...he thought that maybe it was worth it; at least she'd be able to survive...maybe.

"M-My Lady-"

"Chat, don't even _dare_ to think of letting go!" She hissed, looking down and glaring angrily at him. _Of course_ she knew where his thoughts were going, he could be _so_ predictable sometimes. Especially when it concerned her.

And just because she _knew_ he'd do it anyway, she uttered the next few words. "If you let go then I'm letting go too."

He smirked weakly. "Well, that just killed the purpose of my heroic attempt."

She rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth as her grip slipped for a second and she had to hold on tighter; pushing the glass deeper into her flesh and drawing more blood.

Just to make matters worse, her Miraculous beeped, the same time Chat's did. Only one dot left.

Hawk Moth walked towards the window, hands behind his back as he watched them with a smirk on his face. The dangerous glint in his eyes had been replaced with a look of utter delight, with a hint of insanity.

He was enjoying this.

"I _could_ take your Miraculous right now," he started, grinning. "But I could _also_ take your Miraculous from whatever is left of your dead bodies once you hit the ground. Would be easier, and a lot more fun."

"You're sick," Ladybug snapped, trying her best to hide the flash of blind panic she was feeling.

She needed to be strong, if not for her, then for Chat.

Hawk Moth smirked. "I try to be."

An Akuma flew up to his shoulder and he petted it affectionately, a softer look on his face as he interacted with the butterfly; but that didn't make him look any less sinister. "What do you think, little Akuma? Drop them?"

The Akuma fluttered its wings twice.

"That's what I thought," Hawk Moth grinned and pushed his foot onto Ladybug's hand, she flinched and automatically let go, glaring as the villain watched them fall with a smile on his face.

The loud screams of the people of Paris could be heard clearly as they finally noticed what was going on. Multiple people called 112* in a futile attempt to help their favorite heroes, even though everyone knew they'd be dead before the police arrived.

As they were falling, Chat withdrew his staff, automatically pulling Ladybug closer to him. They were going to die anyway, so why not with her as close to him as possible?

Ladybug closed her eyes, waiting with a heavy heart for the hit that would kill them.

But it never came.

Hawk Moth watched wide eyed as yellow and orange spots surrounded the two Miraculous holders, the spots kept getting brighter and brighter, and when Ladybug and Chat Noir were about to hit the ground, the spots disappeared.

...The same moment both heroes disappeared.

* * *

 _ ***112 is the emergency number in the Netherlands too, so I just automatically assumed it was the same for France since I knew it wasn't 911.**_

 _ **So...I came up with this...didn't mean for it to be this dramatic, but oh well.**_

 _ **I could just leave this as it is...but I could also continue it. What do you think?**_

 _ **Au revoir petits papillons!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Marinette hissed as she hit the ground, blinking in surprise. She had expected the fall to hurt _a lot_ worse and as far as she knew, her insides weren't splattered all over the streets of Paris and-

Wait, she _wasn't_ dead?

The girl looked down at herself, immediately noticing that she wasn't wearing her Ladybug costume anymore. Her Miraculous must've ran out. She checked herself for anything out of place, and, besides all the injuries Hawk Moth caused and the stinging pain in her butt from falling on it; nothing seemed out of place. But that was just impossible, she knew that there was a possibility that Chat could have nine lives but that didn't mean she-

 _Chat!_

Marinette jumped up and looked around, calling her partner's name over and over, sighing in relief when she heard his weak voice calling back; not caring that she was risking her secret identity as she ran towards the sound.

Both of them had nearly died, a secret identity was the _least_ of her problems.

In her haste, she nearly forgot to check on Tikki. So, while she was running, she opened her clutch bag to check on the little Kwami inside. Her fast heartbeat slowing down a bit when she spotted Tikki smiling up at her, seemingly unharmed.

Marinette found Chat behind a dumpster in an alley, close to the one she landed in. He looked just as horrible as before, which, in this situation, was a good thing. As she walked over to him and pulled him up, she did a quick check; two eyes, two ears, two cat ears, two legs, two arms, ten claws. Everything seemed fine.

...Except for the fact that he was staring at her with nothing but surprise in his eyes.

He was so surprised, he didn't even react to her hugging him.

Marinette pulled back and frowned, wondering if maybe something was wrong with him after all. "Chat? Chat!" She snapped her fingers in front of his face, a look of annoyance on hers.

"Marinette?" He breathed, and suddenly, the girl understood why he was acting so weird.

She stepped back and smiled a little sheepishly. "Uhm...yeah...about that-"

His Miraculous beeped and he paled. "Don't freak out!"

"Freak out? Chat, what-"

"It's just, whenever I'm around you you act all weird and we _really_ don't need that right now and-" his rambling got cut off as a bright light surrounded him and Chat Noir slowly disappeared.

Marinette was still confused by his behavior as he changed back, she didn't understand a _thing_ of what he was saying. It was all a jumbled mess of words that just didn't make sense at all, kinda like how she acted whenever she was around-

"Adrien?!"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Hey?"

The girl closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, already feeling a headache coming on. Who knows, maybe she _did_ get hit on the way down?

Meanwhile, Adrien had no idea what to say. All this time, he had been trying to figure out who Ladybug was, only to find out that she was the sweet girl in his class. Ladybug had been sitting behind him _all this time_ and he didn't even know! But then again, he had always thought that his Princess and his Lady had been strikingly similar. The only thing that kept him from suspecting anything was the way she acted around him as Adrien.

 _Ladybug_ on the other hand seemed completely fine when she had met him, showing not even a hint of discomfort.

"Can we just-" Marinette sighed and opened her eyes. "Can we just forget about this for now and focus on where we are?" At the moment, she wasn't really ready (or in the mood) for these kind of things. Stopping Hawk Moth was at the top of her priority list at the moment.

"Definitely in Paris," Adrien nodded his head towards the Eiffel Tower nearby, wincing at the sharp sting of pain that shot through him.

"Oddly at night," Marinette added, frowning. She was _sure_ it was daytime when they fought Hawk Moth.

"Marinette!" A tiny voice hissed and the girl jumped in surprise. She quickly opened her bag and frowned at Tikki.

"Tikki!" She scolded. "You should be resting!"

The cute little Kwami flew out of the clutch, obviously putting much effort into flying and nearly dropping to the ground multiple times. Marinette quickly cupped her hands, allowing the Kwami to land there. "I know," she breathed softly. "But something isn't right, my senses-"

"Your senses are wrong." Plagg muttered, flying out of Adrien's jacket and landing on his shoulder so he wouldn't use up too much energy. "I don't feel anything."

"Shut up, Plagg!" Tikki hissed, glaring at him. _"Focus!"_

Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other in confusion. "I take it, you two know each other?" The boy asked.

Tikki rolled her eyes. "Yes and he's _annoying!"_

"Eh, you're just paranoid," Plagg countered, lazily leaning against Adrien's neck.

Tikki sighed and closed her eyes. _"Please,_ Plagg, just focus!" She pleaded.

Plagg sighed and rolled his eyes, he was _exhausted_ from the fight earlier and _really_ didn't feel like wasting any more of his energy on something as stupid as sensing their location. But he had been working with Tikki for _many_ centuries now, and if there was one thing he knew; it was that he shouldn't mess with her. Especially when she was agitated.

So he just shut his eyes and focused, frowning when he realized that _damn it,_ she was right, _again._

When he opened his eyes, Tikki had her tiny little arms crossed and a smug look on her face. "What did I say?"

"Shut up," he grumbled, moving to hide in Adrien's jacket again.

Tikki rolled her eyes and let out a breath of air before focusing back on the two teens. "As I was saying before I was _rudely interrupted!"_ She raised her voice at the last part, smirking when Plagg muttered something underneath his breath. "We _are_ in Paris, but not...well, not _our_ Paris."

Marinette frowned. "Tikki, you're not making any sense."

"Does she ever?" Plagg muttered, yelping when Adrien rolled his eyes in annoyance and zipped his jacket closed.

"I'm keeping it closed until you behave," he said, ignoring the cat Kwami's protests.

Tikki sighed. "I know I'm not, I...I can't explain it. I can sense two of you, Marinette," her eyes snapped to Adrien. "Same goes for you."

"Like that time we time traveled?" Marinette asked.

The Kwami shook her head. "No, we aren't in the past or in the future. I...don't know, another dimension maybe? Ugh, this is messing with my head!"

"You're not the only one," Adrien commented, confusion shining in his green eyes.

He jumped as Plagg started to struggle frantically, trying his best to get out and mumbling inaudible things. "Plagg?"

The cat Kwami just struggled harder, until Adrien finally unzipped his jacket and let him out. "Plagg, what are you-"

Plagg didn't even pay Adrien any attention, he zipped straight past him and towards Tikki; grabbing her hand and dragging her into Marinette's clutch with him. He used his other hand to cover her mouth, he just _knew_ she'd start yelling if he didn't.

"Hide!" He hissed at Marinette and Adrien.

The two teens only knew what was going on when it was too late.

"Oh! What do we have here?"

Marinette turned, stumbling back in surprise when she saw the person behind her. She stumbled into Adrien, quickly apologizing when he hissed in pain because of his injuries.

Lady WiFi stood there, red eyes glowing as she grinned at them.

"Alya?"

Lady WiFi looked a bit surprised when she saw the two. "Marinette? Adrien? But...that isn't possible..." Her eyes narrowed and she aimed her phone at them. "Who are you?"

Out of pure instinct, Adrien tugged on Marinette's arm, pushing her behind him and ignoring the glare she shot him. "Alya, relax." He spoke, voice gentle.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, you're seriously using that on me _again?"_ She frowned. "Wait, no, you're not Adrien!" She clutched her head. "Ugh, this is confusing, forget it," her eyes flashed. "I'll just destroy you."

 _"No you won't!"_

A girl jumped in front of them, blocking Lady WiFi's view of them.

The girl had her honey blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and creamy skin, a yellow crown on top of her head. She wore a yellow suit with a puffy skirt that had yellow and black stripes; like a bee. She wore yellow heels and a yellow mask similar to Ladybug's. She had a pair of fake- much like Chat's ears -wings and yellow gloves.

Lady WiFi raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Queen B, you seriously think you can beat me?" She taunted.

"Have done so before!" She shot back.

"Yeah, but that was with-"

A shadow zipped past her. "Me, perhaps?" It purred, its voice having a slight Italian accent.

Lady WiFi turned, cursing when she saw the figure casually leaning against the wall, eyes focused on her gloved nails, a silver flute in her other hand. "Volpina, of course."

Volpina wore a bodysuit similar to Chat's, her color scheme existing of burned orange, white and black. The part of her costume that covered her hands to her elbow was black, the rest of her costume being burned orange except for the part in the middle; which was white. Around her waist was a loose piece of fabric, looking much like a fox's tail with black outlines. She had fake fox ears (again, like Chat's) and straight black hair, the ends of her hair followed her color scheme; burned orange and white and was tied up, creating a bulge and looking like a fox tail. Her mask was the same kind of orange, only with black outlines. Her skin was dark, much like Alya's.

Queen B stuck her tongue out childishly at the villain and waved at Volpina, the fox-themed hero rolled her eyes but still shot a smile back as she pushed herself off the wall. She coolly walked towards the bee-themed hero, having the nerve to run her hand through Lady WiFi's hair and wink as she passed her.

Lady WiFi's red eyes flashed dangerously and aimed her phone at them, not hesitating to throw locks at them. Volpina dodged them easily, moving with elegance, like a fox.

Queen B simply jumped out of the way when needed, going so fast it almost looked like she was flying like a bee.

Volpina landed on the ground, her legs outstretched and one hand on the ground for extra support. So similar to how Chat had done before but at the same time so _different._ When Chat moved it was quick, carefree and graceful. When Volpina moved it was elegant, thought out and agile.

She looked back at Queen B and winked. "Honeybee, you know what to do, don't you?"

Queen B grinned and rushed past Lady WiFi, not worrying about getting caught; Volpina was there if she needed any help.

Lady WiFi turned and shot a pause button at Queen B, smirking when it hit the bee-themed hero and she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Oh no, you don't," Volpina brought her flute to her lips and closed her eyes. She allowed her fingers to move on their own as she blew in the instrument, seemingly completely lost in her music as she played a soft and calming tune. It was ironic, really, the events that followed were anything but _calming._

Small bursts of fire circled Lady WiFi, the flames slowly closing in on the villain the longer Volpina kept playing. She looked up at the villain and raised an eyebrow, dark brown eyes twinkling. The message was clear, let Queen B go or get burned.

Lady WiFi growled in annoyance and pulled the pause button back, lunging at Volpina shortly after and knocking the flute out of her hands; not noticing Queen B climbing up and taking out the electricity cables nearby, effectively shutting down the WiFi.

When she was done, she simply sneaked up behind Lady WiFi while she was distracted by Volpina and pulled out her small bee-shaped gun; shooting a dart in the villain's back and immediately knocking her out.

She just smiled innocently as Marinette and Adrien stared at her in surprise.

Volpina casually stepped over Lady WiFi's unconscious body. "Come on, let's go."

"Wait! What about Alya?!" Marinette hissed, pushing away from Adrien and glancing at her best friend in concern.

Volpina rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the girl, tilting her chin up with her finger and bringing her face a bit closer. "That isn't your friend Alya...not in this world, at least."

"This world?" Marinette muttered, pulling back.

 _"Volpina!"_ Queen B hissed. "You weren't supposed to say that!"

Volpina shrugged. "I'll be at your place, find me when you're done," she jumped onto a dumpster before jumping onto the roof and running away.

Queen B sighed and smiled at the two. "Sorry about that, she's nice once you get to know her."

"Does she stay out of people's personal space when you get to know her?" Marinette muttered, more to herself.

Adrien sighed. "Thanks, for the help."

"No problem!" Queen B smiled. "We were the ones that brought you here so it's only fair that we come get you and explain everything!"

Marinette blinked. "Wait, you _brought_ us here?"

"Well...not us _exactly,_ our Kwami's did." The blonde looked down at Lady WiFi, her light blue eyes unsure. "We really shouldn't be having this conversation here, the walls have ears and it won't be long before they get here."

"Who?" Adrien asked, deciding that he could ask about the Kwami's later.

Queen B shook her head frantically. "No! I said nothing! We really should go!"

"What about Alya?" Marinette crouched down next to the unconscious girl, nothing but worry in her eyes. "I'm not leaving her!"

Queen B sighed and gently placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder, hastily removing it when she flinched from her injuries. "I'm sorry! But like Volpina said, this isn't the Alya you know."

"That isn't right! She's just Akumanized! We can-"

"Marinette, she isn't Akumanized."

Marinette blinked. "What?"

 _"Please,_ come with me?" Queen B pleaded.

"I don't think that'd be very smart," Adrien spoke up, green eyes focused on Marinette and hoping she'd get the message.

She did and her eyes narrowed. "He's right, we can't just trust random strangers. Even if you saved our lives...twice."

The bee-themed hero smiled. "But that's just _it!_ If I'm right- and I hope I am or else this'll be awkward -we aren't strangers! Look!" She stepped back, pausing when she realized something. "Volpina will probably kill me for this but it's the only way to get you to trust me so...oh well!"

Marinette got up from the ground and stood next to Adrien, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Did she really just say all that in one breath?" He whispered to her.

She nodded, wondering the same thing.

"Buzz off*!" She said and seconds later, a bright light covered her. When it faded, a familiar blonde girl stood there, waving a bit awkwardly.

 _"Salut!"_ Chloé Bourgeois greeted.

* * *

 _ ***Yes, I know that was lame. But Ladybug has Spots on/off and Chat has Claws out/off and I just had to think of something for Queen B...? (Ugh, I have a feeling Volpina's is going to be worse)**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Great, just _great!"_ Marinette muttered.

Chloé blinked. "I take it, we aren't friends in your world?"

Adrien grabbed Marinette's hand to stop her from pacing, ignoring the bright blush on her face because of the small action. "Not exactly," he admitted.

"Well...that backfired," she muttered, fiddling with the bright yellow bracelet on her left arm. It was probably her Miraculous.

A tiny little bee Kwami flew out of Chloé's pocket, flying left and right at top speed and muttering random things to herself.

"Oh, I _knew_ this would backfire! What if this'll never work? Or if we're stuck?" She gasped and placed her tiny little hands on her cheeks, a mortified expression on her face. "What if we die?! Oh, I knew this was a bad idea-"

Chloé sighed and grabbed the Kwami out of the sky. "Lizzie, how many times do I have to tell you? _Relax."_

Tikki and Plagg flew out of Marinette's clutch. "Lizzie?" Tikki said, a little unsure.

The bee Kwami stopped dead in her tracks and squealed when she saw the two. She rushed towards them, nearly squeezing the life out of Tikki as she hugged her.

"Missed...you too...Liz..." She gasped out. She looked up at Marinette. "Don't worry, you can trust her."

The girl frowned. "Are you _sure-"_

Plagg yelped as Lizzie let go of Tikki and moved on to him. "Yup...it's...her," he gasped when she let go and smiled sheepishly at them. "Only Lizzie can nearly kill someone with her hugs," he deadpanned, making her blush.

Tikki slapped his shoulder and glared at him.

"What?"

"Behave, we haven't seen her in millennia," she scolded.

Marinette crossed her arms and looked up, already setting her glare on Adrien. Knowing him, he would make a _Bee-have_ pun anytime soon.

He chuckled but clamped his lips shut, much to her relief.

"So...can we go?" The mayor's daughter questioned.

Marinette hesitated, biting her lip as she glanced at Alya.

"We _really_ can't take her, Marinette," Chloé said gently. "And if we did, we might as well give...them a map to our location."

At their confused looks, she sighed. "I'll explain later, but we really need to go and get you guys patched up."

* * *

Volpina looked up as the three entered the Bourgeois mansion. "You made it," she greeted drily, running her hands through her Kwami's fur affectionately.

Chloé sighed. "Volpina, be nice."

The Italian girl rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine." She jumped off the couch, wearing a plain shirt and jeans. The cold look in her eyes faded and got replaced by a warm smile as she approached them; startling Marinette.

She held her hand out. "I am Volpina, and before you ask, _yes_ my superhero name is the same as mine." She shrugged. "It's not like anyone will realize...not in this world, at least."

"Adrien," he introduced, shaking her hand.

Marinette hesitated, but followed his example. "Marinette," she frowned. "You keep saying 'this world'."

Volpina's eyes twinkled and she smirked. "Let's...ah, talk about that after you've recovered."

Lizzie flew up next to her. "Plagg, cheese is in the fridge and Tikki, cookies are in the cabinet!" She rambled.

Plagg's face lit up and Tikki rolled her eyes. "And you were complaining about her hugs," she muttered, following him into the kitchen.

It didn't take long before both heroes were treated and their Kwami's had gotten (most) of their energy back. But it was late so it was best if they continued the conversation the next day.

Marinette protested at first, _way_ too curious to let it go. But after seeing that Volpina wasn't going to spill anything and a _little_ persuasion from Adrien; she agreed to drop it and allowed Chloé to lead them to their (separate) rooms.

Marinette dropped down on the bed, fighting to not fall asleep immediately on the soft and fluffy covers. It had been a long day and she was simply _exhausted,_ but she couldn't sleep just yet.

She had _way_ too much things on her mind and she needed to figure that out first before she allowed herself to fall asleep.

Tikki looked up from her place on the bed and frowned, clear disapproval in her eyes. "Marinette, please go to sleep."

 _"Non,_ Tikki, I can't," she handed a chocolate chip cookie to the Kwami and smiled. "Not yet, at least."

Tikki frowned. "You aren't Ladybug at the moment, you're allowed to take breaks."

Marinette sighed. "Ladybug isn't just the costume, Tikki, you know that."

"Good point," the ladybug Kwami took a bite from her cookie. She knew she wasn't going to win this argument, Marinette was stubborn.

It was silent for a while, at least, until-

"How come Plagg sensed Alya before you did?" Marinette blurted, watching as Tikki peacefully munched on her cookie.

The Kwami looked up and shrugged. "He's a cat, they can sense danger from a distance. Even if I can sense it too, he still does it before I even notice; sometimes it's too late when I realize it. Like today."

Marinette blinked. "Is that why Adrien always manages to jump in front of me so fast the moment I'm in danger?"

Tikki took another small bite out of her cookie. "Yes."

"Explains a lot," the girl muttered, looking away.

"Still thinking about the fact that he's Chat Noir?" Tikki guessed.

Marinette forced a smile. "That obvious?"

Tikki blinked up at her with big blue eyes and smiled.

The seventeen year old girl sighed and let her head drop against the pillow, eyes focused on the ceiling. "I just...never expected it, I guess." She scoffed. "Both of us were rejecting the other because we liked each other without knowing it."

Tikki hummed a tune as she finished her cookie, listening to the girl talk and slowly getting her to sleep at the same time.

"I mean, I never expected it. Chat and Adrien are _so different_ but at the same time _so alike."_

Tikki's humming became softer, switching to a lullaby she gently lifted the covers and allowed Marinette to crawl underneath them. Her eyes were starting to droop as a yawn escaped her lips.  
"I just...really feel stupid for not noticing it sooner!"

Tikki settled down on the pillow, taking place right next to the girl's ear; all the while humming that same tune. She smiled as Marinette's eyes closed and her breathing became steady and calm. She was asleep.

The little red Kwami flew up and planted a soft kiss on the girl's forehead. "It'll all work out, Marinette. Trust me."

She flew towards the light switch and flicked it off, forgetting for a second that she didn't have night vision like Plagg did. So instead, she followed the sound of Marinette's breathing to find her way back.

* * *

"Too cut things short, Lizzie and Nadie sensed that you two were in danger and acted quickly. Hawk Moth, I assume?" Volpina blurted that morning.

"Yeah," Marinette confirmed, her eyes darkening slightly at the thought of the villain. The next time she saw him, she'd do _everything_ in her power to put him behind bars. She wasn't done with him yet.

Tikki flew up in front of her. "Where _is_ Nadie?"

Lizzie huffed and started flying left and right again, going so fast it looked like a yellow blur. She ranted about how Nadie was _way_ too protective for her own good and how it was stupid and that the bee Kwami could take care of herself, thank you very much. The longer she ranted, the redder her face got.

Chloé blushed and grabbed Lizzie out of the sky. "Liz!"

The yellow Kwami puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms, a tiny pout on her cute face.

Volpina's lips twitched up in a smile. "Lizzie is a bit...upset," she explained. "Nadie put all the burden of bringing you guys here on herself, she didn't allow Lizzie to help."

Tikki's eyes widened. "Is she crazy?! She could've gotten herself killed!"

"That's what I'm saying!" Lizzie exclaimed, pushing herself away from Chloé. "And then she was stubborn enough to transform Volpina!"

"Despite everyone's protests," Volpina added, her smile fading. "She's been resting ever since."

Plagg shrugged. "At least she's quiet now," he commented from his place on the table, munching on a piece of cheese.

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes, he wasn't even going to _bother_ scolding him. Besides-

"Plagg!" Tikki hissed while Lizzie just giggled.

He shrugged. "Just saying."

"Him and Nadie never liked each other," Lizzie explained when she saw the confused look on the four teens' faces. "Nadie is very...motherly, and he can't stand that." While she was talking she zipped around in circles, making it impossible for anyone in the room to focus on one place.

"You really can't sit still, can you?" Adrien muttered, raising an eyebrow.

 _"No."_ Tikki, Plagg, Volpina and Chloé echoed.

The bee Kwami blushed.

Marinette frowned, for some reason feeling as if they weren't telling the complete truth. "Call me crazy, but I suddenly have a feeling you didn't _just_ call us here to save us."

"Clever," Volpina smirked. "You're smart, _coccinella,_ I like that." Her accent thickened when she switched to her mother tongue.

 _"C_ _occinella?"_ Marinette asked, stumbling to pronounce the foreign word. She could pronounce French and Chinese _easily,_ but that was because she grew up with it. Italian? Not so much.

"Ladybug," Volpina translated smoothly, taking place on the armrest of the couch. "And yes, you're right. We _were_ planning to call you after you fought Hawk Moth, but then..." she trailed off, not needing to say more.

Adrien ignored that last part. "So what's the problem then?"

"Well, I _think_ you've noticed," Chloé muttered, running a hand through her hair. "Hawk Moth has taken over and the two of us couldn't defeat him."

"But how?" Marinette exclaimed. "He can't _possibly_ be that strong-"

"He has the other Miraculouses." Volpina said.

Tikki paled and Plagg dropped his cheese. For the first time since Adrien had met the cat Kwami, Plagg actually seemed serious about something that _wasn't_ cheese, for once.

The black Kwami flew up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second!" He waved his tiny arms around. "Did you just say _Hawk_ _Moth_ has the other Miraculouses?"

Volpina nodded.

"It's true," Lizzie added. "The only ones he doesn't have are us and Nadie."

"This is bad," Tikki muttered to herself, her eyes were wide and didn't seem as bright as before. Nothing but panic shone in her eyes. "If he has the others..."

"I still don't understand why he needs the others," Adrien spoke up, a frown on his face as he leaned against the wall. "I mean, he already has one, doesn't he?"

"He has the butterfly one," Lizzie confirmed. "...Which is the whole problem."

Plagg scoffed. "Very specific, Lizzie."

Tikki rolled her eyes. "If you can be quiet for a minute, that would be great." She glared at him. "What she means is, the butterfly Kwami...he's...let's just say he is the original Akuma."

"Well, that just made everything ten times worse," Marinette muttered.

Tikki smiled sadly. "Not only that, he can take the other Kwami's energy-"

"-Which is why we locked him up the moment we even _thought_ of giving people the power of being a hero." A voice piped in.

Volpina jumped, her eyes widening. "Nadie!" Her head snapped towards the open door of her room and she quickly made her way towards the fox Kwami. "You should be resting!"

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, don't worry," her eyes locked on Tikki and Plagg. The fox Kwami scowled when she saw Plagg stuffing his face with cheese.

"Plagg!" She scolded. "Didn't I tell you to stop eating so much cheese?"

He groaned. "And here I thought I didn't have to listen to her nagging anymore when Tikki and I got send away."

"She has a point though," Tikki shrugged, smiling. "You _are_ a disgusting pig, you know." She teased, flying to hug Nadie.

"Thanks a lot, Tikki."

Adrien smirked and raised an eyebrow as the cat Kwami flew towards him and took place on his shoulder. "Not very popular, are you?" He teased.

Plagg shrugged. "Lizzie likes me, but she likes everyone."

The blond boy chuckled.

"So...if I got this right, the butterfly Kwami gets stronger the more Miraculous he absorbs?" Chloé spoke up.

Nadie nodded.

"You could've told us this earlier, you know?" Volpina muttered, shooting accusing looks at Nadie and Lizzie. The latter blushed and looked away while the former just shrugged.

"It was better to explain everything while all of you were here."

"But...doesn't this world have a Ladybug or Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, confusion shining in her blue eyes.

Tikki shook her head. "No, Plagg and I got send to your dimension because it was bad at the time. The others stayed here."

"Well, doesn't that-"

Plagg flinched, his narrow green eyes widened as he _bristled,_ looking like a real cat while he did it. Nadie had the exact same reaction and her eyes flashed.

Lizzie and Tikki glanced at each other, it would take a minute or two before they sensed the danger too, but that didn't mean they liked being left out.

"Danger?" Adrien guessed.

Plagg nodded. "Can't sense where-"

"Eiffel Tower," Nadie confirmed, a smug smile on her face as he glared at her. Yes, they could sense danger faster than the other Kwami's, but Nadie's senses were still a bit more...advanced. Plagg could only sense if danger was _near,_ she could sense the exact location.

"Then let's go," Chloé said, slipping on her bracelet while Volpina pulled her necklace from underneath her shirt.

It only took seconds (and three flashes of blinding light) before Chat Noir, Volpina (in costume) and Queen B stood in the room.

Chat frowned and gently nudged Marinette, she hadn't transformed. She was fiddling with her earring the whole time, her eyes locked on the ground while she bit her lip.

"Marinette? You okay?" He asked.

She jumped. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! Sorry! Spots on!"

Another flash of bright light and Ladybug had taken her place. "Let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Even if it had only been a day or so, Ladybug had missed this.

The feeling of freedom she got as she swung through the city with her yo-yo, running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, the wind blowing in her face. She loved it. It was one of those rare times were she would allow herself to clear her mind, at the moment it didn't matter that they were stuck in a different dimension or that Adrien was Chat Noir. Right now, she just focused on nothing.

Chat was right next to her, climbing on buildings and jumping from rooftops. She knew he was slowing himself down, he was usually much faster than her, something she blamed on his cat-like abilities. He hadn't made a dorky comment or horrible pun yet, but she could see the bright smile on his face as they ran. And suddenly, it clicked. The reason why she didn't realize her partner was her crush.

Adrien Agreste was a sweet and sometimes shy boy.

Chat Noir was confident and cocky.

Adrien was used to doing what his dad asked.

Chat could be carefree and do what he wanted.

They were the _exact_ opposites of each other, even if they were one and the same.

Volpina and Queen B were a couple of buildings ahead of them. The fox themed hero did somersaults and flips as she ran and jumped, laughing the whole time. She moved with elegance and maturity, something Ladybug had seen in Nadie. She didn't know if it was the Kwami's personality or just a fox thing, but it clearly leaked through Volpina.

Queen B on the other hand preferred to stay in the air. While Ladybug, Chat and Volpina stayed on the rooftops to run and jump, sometimes landing on the ground for a short amount of time before climbing back up, the honey blonde hero had a yellow lasso which she used in the same manner Ladybug did with her yo-yo. _If_ Queen B landed on the rooftops, it was probably by accident and it would only take seconds before she was back in the sky.

It send shivers down Ladybug's spine, watching _Chlo_ _é_ act childish and _nice._ It was like she was watching a whole different person speak through another person's body. But still she believed that her world's Chloé could be this nice too. From what she had picked up, Adrien and Chloé had been childhood best friends and Adrien seemed way too nice to hang out with someone like the Chloé she knew _now._

The two classmates had caught up to the other two by now, the Eiffel Tower wasn't far away, but for some reason, Volpina and Queen B had stopped.

"Maybe we should split up-"

 _"No!"_ Queen B hissed, looking at her partner incredulously. "Volpina, are you _crazy?!_ What if Miss Fortune and Chat Blanc show up?! Then what?!"

Volpina rolled her eyes. "Relax, Honeybee. I wasn't suggesting we split up _completely._ I was suggesting we split up in pairs of two, you and me and _Coccinella_ and Chat, just to cover more ground."

"This is going to be a thing, isn't it?" Ladybug sighed after hearing the nickname again.

Volpina winked. "You bet."

"Miss Fortune and Chat Blanc?" Chat echoed, making Queen B flinch and Volpina sigh and shake her head.

She clapped her hands slowly. "Nicely done, Honeybee, nicely done."

"I'm sorry!"

The Italian girl sighed, her chocolate colored eyes darkening as she stared at the two heroes. "Miss Fortune and Chat Blanc are the whole damn reason our Paris is being taken over and destroyed by Hawk Moth," she explained. "You may not see it now, but the city is breaking little by little."

Ladybug looked around, her black and white vision making it a little hard for her to see in the dark, but apparently, Tikki knew what she wanted. Slowly, the girl's vision started to clear up and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark and even then it wasn't completely clear. But at least she could see _something._

She saw Paris, that's it, nothing seemed off.

Ladybug blinked up at Volpina and shrugged. "I don't see anything," she admitted.

"Me neither," Chat said. "And I have night vision."

"That's because you aren't paying attention to the little things." Volpina muttered, the bottom part of her hair swishing around in the wind like a fox's tail.

Queen B sighed, deciding to elaborate on the matter because if she was honest with herself; Volpina was blunt. And her bluntness caused her to outright _suck_ at explaining things. "What is Paris known for?"

Chat winked at Ladybug. "The city of love."

The black haired girl rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but other than that?" Queen B prompted.

Ladybug frowned. "The city of lights..." she mumbled, realization starting to kick in.

Back home, her and Chat mostly patrolled at night and she never had any problems with seeing, even with her black and white vision. While here, Tikki had to put extra energy into giving her her own vision back to see; and even then it didn't really help.

But that was because back home, there were lights on _everywhere._ And here, all the lights had been turned off...even the Eiffel Tower's.

"We need to stop them," Ladybug hissed.

Volpina rolled her eyes and smiled. "Duh. So, back to splitting up."

Chat shrugged and grinned. "I think it's a _purrfect_ idea."

Ladybug groaned, there it was, she was wondering when he'd start. "Damn it, Chat."

"I take it, he does this a lot?" Volpina raised an eyebrow.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You have _no_ idea, he just won't stop!"

"A _pawful_ accusation, my Lady," he said, grinning when Queen B giggled. "See? She likes them?"

Volpina rolled her eyes. "She's like Lizzie, likes everything," she grabbed Queen B and tossed her off the roof, not even looking back. "We'll scan the Tower on the bottom, you two climb up," she didn't wait for an answer as she jumped after her partner.

Chat blinked. "Did she just throw her off the roof?"

"Yup."

"She could've gotten hurt!"

"I don't think so," Ladybug said, looking down and watching how Queen B pulled back her lasso and yelled at Volpina once she hit the ground. "Volpina knows what she is doing...even if it's risky. She knew B would catch herself."

He shrugged. "It was _bugging_ me."

"Chat, don't make me test if cats always land on their feet."

He held his hands up innocently. "Okay, no need to get violent!"

She rolled her eyes, flinching when her eyesight switched back to black and white.

She swung her yo-yo, not waiting for him as she flew through the air. He'd catch up, at least now he didn't have to hold back.

It only took minutes before they reached the top of the Tower, Ladybug frowned as she scanned the area; agitated by the fact that she couldn't see a _thing._ "Chat?"

"Nothing unusual," he called back. He walked over to her, deliberately running his claws across the rails to make his presence known so he wouldn't startle her. the blond sighed as he leaned over the edge, looking at the somber looking city. "Normally I would've commented on the beautiful sight, but..."

"I know," she sighed.

Both of them jumped as a loud crash could be heard before the lights of the Eiffel Tower started to turn back on. Ladybug's vision cleared up a bit, the lack of colors she could see protecting her from the flashes. Chat on the other hand got blinded for a few seconds, the bright lights of the Tower clashing with his night vision and Ladybug was quick to cover his eyes with her hand until his sight got used to it.

The girl glanced at him. "You okay?"

He blinked a couple of times before nodding. "Yeah."

Both of them walked in the opposite direction, still staying on the same floor but checking different sections. Something wasn't right, why would the lights suddenly go on?

After finding nothing, Ladybug made her way towards her partner, frowning when he didn't seem to react to her presence. "Chat?"

He didn't react.

"Chat!"

The boy jumped in surprise as he snapped out of it, a nervous look crossing his face. "M-my Lady?"

"What were you doing?" Ladybugs eyes narrowed as he took a step to the side, blocking her view of the city.

"Nothing!"

She frowned and placed a hand on his shoulder. _"Chat?"_

He paled. "Princess, don't-"

She pushed him away, a gasp escaping her lips.

"-look."

Ladybug covered her mouth with her hands, tears filling her eyes. "No.." she whimpered. She rushed forward, hands gripping the rails tightly as she leaned over to get a better look at the ground. It was difficult to see because they were so high up, but the Tower gave her enough light to see.

On the ground was a body, motionless, from what she could see.

"Manon*," she breathed softly, not hesitating as she jumped off the Eiffel Tower; Chat following after her.

Ladybug landed on the ground and rushed towards the child, crouching down and gently cradling Manon into her lap. She ran her hands through the little girl's hair and checked for a heartbeat; relieved when she heard the soft and steady pattern of her breathing.

Chat landed next to her, a worried look on his face. "Is she..."

"No," Ladybug shook her head, wiping a tear off her cheek as she pulled the girl closer. "She's breathing, _Dieu merci,_ she's breathing."

Chat smiled, his heartbeat slowing down a bit. He remembered the cute little girl he had a photo shoot with in the park and he didn't want _any_ type of harm thrown her way.

Ladybug brushed Manon's hair out of her face and checked for any visible injuries, her face darkening when she spotted several bruises and cuts on her body; most of them on her face.

"Kitty," she spoke, her voice dark.

"Yes?"

"If I ever find the person who did this..." she paused, unsure of her next words, but from the pure rage she was feeling at the moment; she knew it needed to be said. "You have to hold me back."

Because if she was honest with herself, she didn't know what she would do once she found the person who _dared_ to touch her little Manon.

Sure, the child was annoying and sure, Marinette got agitated sometimes because of her. But she had been babysitting the girl for a while now and despite all her faults, Manon was still a child; an adorable one. She was obviously very fond of Marinette too, sometimes outright _refusing_ to do anything if she wasn't there.

From the many times that Marinette had to babysit the girl, she had grown to love her. Which is the exact reason she was so _angry_ at that moment.

Chat seemed surprised (and a little worried) by the request, but he agreed to it anyway. He jumped when the 'phone' in his weapon went off, completely forgetting for a second that Volpina and Queen B were able to contact them this way too. He frowned as he pressed the 'answer' button and Queen B's worried face appeared. "Y-"

 _"You guys have to get out of there!"_ She hissed, dodging an ice blast and shooting back a dart with her bee-gun. In the background he could see Volpina running on the roof, frantically playing her flute as she dodged bubbles and jumped to another building.

"What's going on?!"

 _"It's the Bubbler and Stormy Weather, it was a trap! They're coming for you-"_ She got cut off as the Bubbler shot a bubble at her, trapping her. Queen B yelped and glared at the boy in the sky before taking off her crown and poking the bubble with the sharp edge. _"Go!"_ She said, before ending the call.

Chat tensed and crouched down next to Ladybug, having a bad feeling about this. Now he knew why the lights turned on when they did, it blinded him; effectively distracting his senses and stopping him from sensing any danger nearby.

"Princess, we need to-"

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in."

Chat turned to see a blond boy in a white Chat Noir costume with _glowing_ yellow eyes instead of green ones.

Chat Blanc.

Ladybug got up from the ground, Manon still unconscious in her arms. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the villain, widening in surprise when a girl landed next to him.

She wore a puffy black and red dress that was about knee-length, the two colors blended well with each other; giving the red a dirty look so it wasn't so bright. The top part of the dress sat snuggly against her chest while the bottom puffed out. She wore the same mask Ladybug had, the only difference being that hers was black with red dots instead of red with black dots. She had her black hair in the same two pigtails, a black rose stuck in her hair. Her hands were covered in black lace gloves. All the dark colors clashed with the bright red of her eyes, but it still made beautiful contrast at the same time. The whole outfit gave her an elegant look, as if she was going to a masquerade.

"Think we found this world's version of us?" Chat whispered.

Miss Fortune frowned and wrapped the rope of her yo-yo around her fingers, dropping the weapon/toy before pulling it back up and catching it. "Adrien, do you know who these people are?" She spoke, her voice calm and nearly emotionless.

Ladybug clutched Manon tighter. "She just confirmed it," she whispered back.

"No," Blanc* shook his head and narrowed his eyes; his voice just as calm. "Never seen them before, my dear."

Ladybug flinched, and she thought Chat's 'my Lady' or 'Princess' was cheesy.

"Hmm..." Miss Fortune's red eyes darkened and she pressed a button on the black and red yo-yo in her hands. Chat's and Ladybug's eyes widened as blades shot out of the toy and the girl made sure to hold it by the rope so she wouldn't accidentally cut herself. "I never liked strangers."

A sinister glint appeared in Blanc's yellow eyes and he smirked. "Why don't we deal with them, then?" He teased, winking at the girl next to him as he lifted his hand, the claws looking sharper than Chat's for some reason.

The blond hero's eyes widened as his...counterpart's hand flickered with electricity.

Well, that was new.

* * *

 _ ***Remember this cutie?**_

 _ ***Question: Should I keep calling Chat Blanc 'Blanc' or something else?**_

 _ **I couldn't help but smile as I wrote the descriptions for Chat Blanc and Miss Fortune. It just went like; 'Chat's suit was white' and then when Miss Fortune came in BAM! An entire paragraph dedicated to her appearance. XD**_


	5. Chapter 5

Ladybug stepped behind Chat, she wasn't scared, definitely not. But she needed to protect Manon as best as she could, and she couldn't do that while fighting.

Miss Fortune's eyes zeroed in on her, a surprised look in her red eyes as she noticed the child in the hero's arms. "Oh! Adrien, look! It's little Manon!"

He frowned. "Didn't you get rid of her?"

"That's what I thought!"

Chat glanced at his partner, pulling her back when she gritted her teeth and stepped forward. She glared at him, nothing but fury in her eyes as she roughly pushed his hand away.

He ignored it and pulled her back again. "My Lady, don't do it," he pleaded softly. "Think of Manon."

Her eyes narrowed and she looked back at the two standing on the middle part of the Eiffel Tower. Her attention was more on Miss Fortune than on Chat Blanc, the girl was grinning down at her; casually playing with her yo-yo and having the nerve to blow her a kiss when she caught her staring. Ladybug's blood was boiling, she was sure her glare was murderous. But as she stared at Chat's pleading expression, she sighed and stepped back. He was right.

Miss Fortune's grin widened at the small action. "Aw! How _cute!"_

Chat drew his staff and smirked. "Thank you, although people rarely describe me as _cute._ Try sexy, that usually works."

"Oh, I like him," Blanc grinned, jumping off the Eiffel Tower and landing a few feet in front of them.

"Of course you do," Miss Fortune muttered, rolling her eyes. She jumped after her partner, landing gently on her feet and brushing the dust off her dress.

"Why did you hurt Manon?" Ladybug hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

Miss Fortune shrugged and pressed the button on her yo-yo again, pulling the blades back and allowing her to use it more as a toy than a weapon as she caught it and dropped it repeatedly. Her red eyes flashed. "Boredom. My Kitty wasn't paying any attention to me so I went out," a sadistic smile graced her lips. "This little angel was wandering the streets at night without a guardian."

Blanc rolled his eyes and sighed. "I _told_ you I was heading your way, if you had just _waited_ five minutes-"

"I'm an impatient girl, Adrien." She cut him off, her voice sounding innocent and indifferent. "You should know that," she caught her yo-yo and wrapped her fingers around it, her eyes shining as she glanced at him and smirked. "But the kid was bound to get hurt anyway, I simply sped up the process. Although I didn't finish it..."

It took _everything_ in Ladybug's power not to attack. Last time she acted without thinking, she got her and Chat into a different dimension.

So instead, she shifted Manon to one arm and stepped further behind Chat, keeping her eyes on the two villains as she slowly pressed the call button on her yo-yo. If she was lucky (and she usually was) Volpina would pick up and be able to track them down.

Chat's eyes snapped to her for a second before focusing back on the two in front of them. He leaned against his staff casually, acting as if they weren't in danger. He just needed to buy them some time; enough for Volpina and Queen B to get here. _"Me-ouch!_ Kick a cat while she's down, why won't you?" He said, motioning to the unconscious girl.

Miss Fortune took a piece of gum from Blanc's pocket and stuck it in her mouth, tossing the wrapper somewhere behind her; completely unaffected by Chat's words. "You see, _Kitten,_ I honestly don't care if I hurt someone when they're down. I just care about finishing the job."

"Which you failed to do this time," Blanc muttered.

Her eyes flashed. "That was _your_ fault and you know it!"

As the two argued, Ladybug checked on her yo-yo, smiling when she saw a green light flickering. Volpina was tracking them. _Keep them busy, Chat._ She thought, well, prayed.

But of course, Chat Blanc just _had_ to have the same abilities as her partner. He tensed and narrowed his yellow eyes. "Someone's coming."

"I know," Miss Fortune mumbled, her voice low and eyes drooping. "Stormy hasn't been reporting back for a while now." She pressed the button on her yo-yo and swung it without warning.

Chat quickly blocked with his staff, thanking his reflexes and instincts in that moment. He flinched at the sharp sound of the blades edges clashing against the metal of his staff; surprised when she blinked and giggled softly, swiftly pulling her yo-yo back and standing straight. "He's fast," she commented.

"I'm faster," Blanc grinned, rushing forward.

"Get Manon out of here," Chat whispered before running to meet his counterpart's attack.

Ladybug tightened her grip on the unconscious girl and swung her yo-yo to the top of the Eiffel Tower, zipping through the sky and past the three people at top speed.

Miss Fortune chuckled and closed her eyes, her attention switching from the two fighting boys to Ladybug. "It is impolite to leave your hosts without saying goodbye," she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. "You'll be fine on your own, won't you, sweetheart?" She said, louder this time.

Chat Blanc dodged an attack, his yellow eyes shining as he threw a kick back. "Is that even a serious question?" He replied, eyes glued on the cat themed hero.

"Good."

Miss Fortune copied Ladybug's action of swinging her yo-yo at the top of the Eiffel Tower, a sadistic smile on her lips as she shot through the sky. Call her crazy, but she liked a good fight.

Ladybug jumped down to where her and Chat had been standing before, crouching down and gently placing Manon in a corner; making sure she was sitting and had her head leaning against a wall. She placed a soft kiss on the girl's forehead before getting up and turning around to go and help Chat.

"Ah, ah, ah, little Ladybug! Not so fast!" A voice called from behind her.

She froze, slowly turning to see Miss Fortune grinning at her.

She was sitting next to Manon, casually swinging her yo-yo around, pulling it back with a simple tug of her finger and catching it each time. Her red eyes were shining brightly as she looked at Ladybug. She turned her head slightly to the right to look at the unconscious girl next to her. "She really is a precious little thing, isn't she?" She commented, grabbing her face with one gloved hand and running her thumb across her cheek. "It'd be a shame if I just..." she lowered her hands to the child's neck. "Snapped," she winked.

Ladybug glared and pulled out her yo-yo. "Don't touch her."

Miss Fortune grinned and pushed herself off the ground, walking until she was right in front of the hero. "Come on, both of us know who has the superior weapon here," she pressed the button on her yo-yo.

"More dangerous doesn't mean superior," she shot back.

"Oh!" The red eyed girl blinked. "You're one of _those_ heroes, aren't you? The ones who think good always wins?" She grinned. "Now _that's_ what I call fun! Volpina is a little boring, don't you think? She's _way_ too down to earth, doesn't give a damn about a thing. And Queen B is just a little too naive to play with," her smile widened. _"You_ on the other hand are _perfect!"_

Ladybug stared at her. "This isn't just a _game!"_

Miss Fortune pouted. "Never mind, you're already boring me."

Ladybug didn't have time to react as the girl kicked her in the side.

* * *

Chat hissed as his back hit the ground and pushed himself back up, narrowly dodging Blanc lunging at him with his claws.

"You know," the villain commented. "Your weapon doesn't really work in your favor today, it's made from metal, and, well..." he held up one of his hands, grinning at the sparks of electricity. Just to prove a point, he grabbed the weapon; making Chat let go before the electricity could hit him.

"You aren't really sane, are you?" He asked.

Blanc scoffed. "Believe me, _she's_ worse," he nodded towards the Eiffel Tower.

Chat paled, cursing himself for not noticing sooner that Miss Fortune had disappeared. If his suspicions were right, she had went after his Lady. He was so _stupid,_ if he had payed attention, he could've stopped her! Yes, he probably couldn't fight them both, hell, he was struggling to keep up with just _Chat Blanc!_ But still, if he was lucky (which he rarely was) he could've distracted them until Volpina and Queen B arrived.

He cursed as his Miraculous beeped, he was down to four dots now. He looked around frantically, dodging the incoming attacks from his counterpart and making his way to a nearby billboard. The blond boy climbed one of the buildings and waited for Blanc to catch up as he stood in front of the board, whistling a tune with his hands behind his back.

Blanc raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior. "What are you whistling about?"

"Oh, nothing," Chat shrugged. "Just the fact that you're about to get crushed."

"What?"

 _"Cataclysm!"_

Chat turned and quickly ran around the billboard, cutting the metal poles holding it up with his claws as he went. He was aware of the fact that his Miraculous went down by two dots after he used it, but if he was right- and he hoped he was -Blanc had no counterattack for this one.

The billboard creaked painfully as it went down, Chat was barely able to dodge before it fell down on top of Blanc. The hero calmly pulled his tail out from underneath the board, glad it was fake. He was about to jump off the roof and climb the Eiffel Tower, but a noise stopped him.

Well, more like an explosion stopped him.

His eyes widened as the board exploded, sparks of electricity shooting from it as Blanc crawled out of the hole he created. He smirked at the hero's bewildered expression, calmly brushing off the excess pieces of wood that stuck on his suit. "Nicely done," he praised, actually looking impressed. "But now it's my turn, _Catastrophe!"_

Before he could do anything though, a figure soared through the sky and kicked him off the roof. Blanc landed on the ground, his palm pressed flat against the ground and ending his 'Catastrophe'.

Volpina landed beside Chat, not hesitating to pull out her flute and play a quick tune. The blond boy watched in amazement as thick vines grew out of the ground and started wrapping around the villain, getting tighter the longer Volpina kept playing; effectively trapping him.

The Italian girl stopped playing once she nearly suffocated him and was sure he wouldn't escape.

"What _are_ your powers exactly?" Chat wondered.

"Elements," she answered curtly. "Just depends on what tune I play, where's Marinette?"

* * *

Ladybug threw Miss Fortune over her shoulder, gasping when the villain swung her legs out from underneath her and making her fall.

She had been leading the girl away from Manon, getting hit _many_ times in the process. As much as the hero _hated_ to admit it, Miss Fortune was a good fighter.

The red eyed girl smirked and swung her legs over Ladybug, straddling her and pinning her hands above her head. "I thought you were going to be more of a challenge, to be honest." She shrugged. "Oh well."

She grabbed her black and red yo-yo and pressed the button. Ladybug started struggling heavily when the blades shot out of the weapon, she kicked her legs up, but Miss Fortune shifted her weight and tangled their legs together before she could hit her.

 _"Au revoir!"_ She sang, red eyes lighting up with a sick sense of delight as she raised her hand, ready to bring the weapon down.

Ladybug closed her eyes, mentally saying goodbye to her parents, Alya, Manon, Adrien, Volpina and (this world's) Chloé. She frowned and opened her eyes when ten seconds passed and nothing happened, was Miss Fortune _that_ sadistic that she wanted to see the terror on her victim's face?

Ladybug blinked in surprise. Miss Fortune's shining eyes had been reduced to a dull red, the smile on her face replaced by a look of shock. The hero yelped as she collapsed on top of her, the blade narrowly missing her ear. She was quick to push her off her.

"Sorry we're late!" Queen B apologized, her gun in her hand. "Stormy Weather blasted us all the way across town and Volpina got captured by the Bubbler."

Ladybug shivered, not wanting to think of what could've happened if Queen B hadn't showed up when she did. "Don't worry, you came at just the right time!" She smiled, her eyes widening as she remembered something.

The black haired girl quickly pushed past the bee-themed hero, ignoring her confused expression as she rushed towards the corner she had left Manon.

She lifted the child in her arms, ignoring the way her muscles ached from the fight with Miss Fortune. Ladybug affectionately ran her hand through the girl's hair, not caring when her Miraculous beeped in warning.

Volpina and Chat Noir landed, the latter immediately moving to check on Ladybug and Manon. "Is she okay?" He asked.

Ladybug glanced at him for a second before focusing back on the child in her arms and nodding.

"What about you?"

"Been better, but I'll manage."

Volpina raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me that girl is your daughter."

Ladybug blushed and Chat's eyes widened.

 _"Volpina!"_ Queen B hissed.

"N-no!" Ladybug denied. "She's the daughter of my mother's friend, I babysitted her a lot."

The Italian girl shrugged. "Cool, I found it a bit strange anyway. She doesn't look like either of you."

Chat muttered something under his breath, oddly sounding like 'not to mention both of us are only seventeen', but no one commented on it.

Chat's and Volpina's Miraculous beeped, both of them only having one dot left while Queen B and Ladybug still had three.

"We should go," Queen B suggested.

Volpina hummed in response and jumped off the Eiffel Tower, not really a big fan of waiting.

Chat glanced at his partner. "Want me to..."

"No," she shook her head, smiling softly. "I got her, it's fine. I'll just stick to the air with B."

He nodded, waiting until Queen B and his Lady had pulled out their lasso and yo-yo respectively, only jumping off the Eiffel Tower when they were already moving.

* * *

Volpina's powers grew weaker the farther she got, which meant Chat Blanc was able to break free once she was gone.

He quickly climbed the Eiffel Tower, just in time to see Miss Fortune groan in pain as she woke up, angrily pulling the dart out of her back.

"Marinette, are you okay?" He held his hand out for her to take.

She glared, although it wasn't entirely aimed at him as she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up. "Peachy," she grumbled, eyes flashing.

He sighed and kissed her cheek. "Come on, let's go back."

"Your father won't be happy," she reminded as they jumped off the Eiffel Tower and made their way back to the hideout.

He flinched. "I know, don't remind me."


	6. Chapter 6

"How are they?" Adrien asked when he saw Tikki flying out of Marinette's room.

The red Kwami sighed and took place in between Lizzie and Nadie, all eyes locked on her. "Manon is okay, she'll wake up soon from the looks of it. Marinette..." she placed her hands on her tiny little cheeks. "She isn't doing so well."

"She's blaming herself, isn't she?" He sighed.

Tikki nodded.

Volpina placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, calm down, she'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure, Volpina-" Chloé shut up and mumbled an apology underneath her breath when Volpina shot her a sharp look.

"Where's Plagg?" Lizzie wondered, looking around in confusion.

Nadie scoffed. "Kitchen."

Volpina frowned at the worried expression on Adrien's face, he kept biting his lip and fiddling with his ring; clearly a bad sign. She dropped her hand from his shoulder and sighed. "Why won't you check on her then?"

"I don't want to disturb-"

Tikki flew up, the dullness in her blue eyes lighting up. "No! She's right! Marinette may not want it, but she needs company sometimes, which is why I'm always around!" She smiled. "Although this time I think you'd help a lot better than me!"

At his hesitation, Volpina rolled her eyes. There really _was_ a difference between him and his superhero identity, wasn't there? "Just go before I throw you over my shoulder and lock you in a room with her."

Chloé chuckled. "I'd do as she says, Adrien. She'll really throw you into the room if you don't go. She isn't really patient."

"Don't know where she got that from," Nadie commented drily, calmly swishing her tail around and winking at Volpina when she glared.

The boy sighed and walked out of the room, knocking twice on his friend's room before entering.

Marinette sat on the edge of her bed, eyes glued on a sleeping Manon. The teen had placed the child on the bed and tucked her in, her whole body- except for her head -was covered by the fluffy white blankets. She had treated the child's visible wounds, deciding that she could do the rest once she was awake.

The girl jumped as someone knocked on the door, hastily wiping away the tears staining her cheeks and making herself look presentable.

"You okay, Marinette?" Adrien asked softly, closing the door behind him and leaning against it; green eyes focused on the side of her face.

She nodded, eyes never leaving Manon. "Yeah."

"She'll be fine, you know."

"I know."

He walked closer and sat down next to her, making sure to keep enough space between them so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. Marinette couldn't help but smile at that, Adrien Agreste, always the thoughtful and kind schoolboy.

"Then why are you still worried?" He asked gently.

She shrugged. "Protectiveness, I guess?"

The blond boy opened his mouth to reply but clamped it shut when she covered her face with her hands and a sob escaped her lips. He paled, he had never been good with crying people.

He hesitantly wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Princess, please don't cry," he pleaded.

"S-sorry," she mumbled, pulling away from him and wiping the tears off her face. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. "O-okay, I'm fine now...I think."

"Stop lying. You're still upset."

"You just told me not to cry!"

He blushed. "I didn't-" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't listen to me, I don't know how to deal with these things."

"And here I thought you were good at everything," she smiled, teasing him.

"I am good at _most_ of the things I do," he winked, Chat Noir slightly slipping through his behavior.

Marinette sighed and looked away, her playful mood vanishing in two seconds flat. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Adrien."

The boy's next move may have been considered bold, so he blamed it _entirely_ on the fact that he was channeling his inner Chat, but he frowned and gently grabbed her face with one hand; turning it towards him. "Hey now, where did that beautiful smile go?"

She blushed. "I...W-what are y-you..." Great, she was back to being a stuttering mess around him. _Just_ when she thought she had gotten over it. But in her defense, she was used to Chat pulling these kind of stunts, not Adrien. Even if they were the same person, it still felt different.

He shot her a boyish grin and let go of her face. And just because his smile was _so_ contagious, she couldn't help but smile back.

"There you go," he grinned. "Princesses shouldn't be sad, neither should Ladies."

The black haired girl rolled her eyes at the cheesy comment, wondering if he was having trouble alternating between 'Princess' and 'my Lady'.

Manon groaned and shifted, making both teens freeze. She was waking up.

"I think it's better if I'm alone, don't want to startle her even more," Marinette said. It was bad enough that Manon had to wake up with her there, she was sure that the little girl didn't know her. And _if_ she did, it probably weren't good memories.

"Right," Adrien got up and walked out.

"Adrien?"

He paused, hand at the doorknob. "Yeah?"

"Thank you."

He smiled. "Anytime, my Lady," he walked out.

Right when he shut the door, Manon's eyes shot open and she screamed. Marinette was by her side immediately, muttering calming words and hoping it would help. The little girl stopped screaming, although she scooted far away from her, jumping off the bed and hiding in a corner as she threw the covers over her head.

Marinette sighed and got off the bed, carefully walking towards the trembling girl on the ground and sitting down in front of her. She lightly tugged on the blanket covering the child, letting go when Manon squeaked and scooted further into the wall.

"Manon, I won't hurt you, promise." She pleaded, her voice soft and gentle.

"H-how do you k-know my n-name?" She replied, voice muffled by the covers.

Marinette paused. Damn it, she hadn't thought of that little detail...

"I...uhm...knew you when you were younger...?" She blinked. "Yeah! You've grown so much! You were about this little last time I saw you," she gestured the height with her hands, smiling when the eight year old girl peaked around the blanket to look.

She hesitated. "..Really?"

"Yes," the blue eyed girl tried to ignore the guilt she was feeling from lying.

Manon pulled the blankets away, staring at Marinette with doubtful eyes. The child wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her chin on her knees. "What's your name?"

"Marinette."

She waved shyly. "Hello."

To say that this action startled Marinette was an understatement. The Manon from her world was playful and confident, much like her Kitty in that way. She could also be very demanding and annoying, but that's the way kids were. The little girl sitting in front of her was shy and timid, Marinette didn't know if it was just her personality or if it was because of the way this world was.

"Where's your mother?" She asked.

The child tugged on one of her ponytails, her bottom lip trembling and tears filling her eyes. "I-I don't know," she sobbed and Marinette was quick to pull her closer.

"It'll be okay," she murmured softly, rubbing Manon's back as a way to calm her. "Can you tell me what happened?"

She sniffed and buried her face in the teen's chest. _"Maman,_ she...she got t-taken and-" she stopped, her silent tears changing into full out wailing. Marinette bit her lip and hugged the girl, deciding that she could get answers from Volpina and Chloé later; she had noticed the lack of adults earlier but hadn't commented on it. Now she had no choice but to look into it.

But she could do that later, she had to deal with Manon first.

* * *

 _"Those insufferable little brats!"_

Chat Blanc calmly sat in a chair, sipping his tea and flipping through an old comic of his as his girlfriend stomped around the room in frustration. He didn't even flinch as she grabbed a desk and flung it across the room, still not satisfied as it smashed into dozens of little pieces.

She grabbed her yo-yo and pressed the button, flinging it at one of his many computer screens and not even paying attention as the glass shattered and electricity sparked from the device as she pulled it back. She kept stomping around, yelling curses in English, French and Chinese; curses he could all understand and translate easily but chose to ignore.

It was...amusing, seeing her get so worked up. Normally she knew how to stay calm in any situation. Yes, she was the insane one of the two, but she was calm and collected, elegant and graceful as she moved or even _killed;_ which just made her more dangerous. Not to mention her insanity was _a lot_ scarier this way.

Finally, after hearing her rant and destroy his belongings for twenty minutes, he decided to step in. His comic was getting boring anyway.

The villain calmly got up and snuck up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and making sure to stay clear of her weapon as he pulled her closer. _"Relax,"_ he breathed into her ear.

She tilted her head back to look up at him, her eyes murderous. "You actually want me to _relax?!_ Adrien, do you _want_ to die right now?!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, but at this rate you'll destroy my whole room...again."

Miss Fortune huffed and pushed him away, walking towards the huge window looking over the city, similar to the one his father had. "They caught us off guard! That's the _only_ reason they beat us!"

"Who are you trying to convince?" Blanc raised an eyebrow. _"I know."_

"Your father needs to act quickly with that plan of his," she grumbled, crossing her arms.

The blond boy jumped on his bed and leaned back into the pillows, his arms behind his head. "Well, at least we know now why he couldn't execute his plan. He was two Miraculouses short."

She spun around on her heel and glared at him. "How can you stay so _calm?!_ We just got defeated by a group of _idiots!"_

His yellow eyes flashed and he grinned, sitting up in his bed. Blanc pulled out his staff and extended it, casually reaching out and placing it behind her before yanking her towards him with a sharp tug. If it hadn't been for her perfect balance, she would've crashed on top of him, but she simply stopped in front of him with an expression on her face that _wasn't_ really amused.

 _"Ma chéri,_ have we ever failed?" He asked, grabbing her hands and tilting his head up to look at her with a smug expression.

"No."

He folded their fingers together before tugging on her hands and pulling her down in his lap. "Then why start now?" He mumbled, voice low as he stared down at her with hooded yellow eyes.

"Your father-"

"My father doesn't need to know," he cut in, placing a swift kiss on her lips and grinning. "As far as he is concerned, it was just Volpina and Queen B, no one else."

"He'll find out."

He shrugged. "So what? By then we'll already have the other Miraculouses and he won't have any reason to be mad."

Miss Fortune sighed, the doubt in her red eyes faded as she nodded and sat up straight; still in his lap. Her voice lost that agitated edge from before, instead switching back to the formal tone she usually used. "What were you planning?"

Chat Blanc grinned, his eyes glowing.

* * *

 _ **Ugh, it's really easy to write Chat and Ladybug, but for some reason Marinette and Adrien are giving me trouble. -,-**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Happy new year, guys!**_

* * *

Three days had passed, and Volpina was going _crazy._

For the record, it had nothing to do with Manon, Volpina didn't know how or why, but she had grown to love the 'little monkey'. She was energetic, completely different from when she had woken up, and Marinette actually knew how to handle her because she acted almost _exactly_ like the girl from her world. The way she had acted before probably had to do with what Miss Fortune did, but she was a child and had a short-attention span; it didn't take long before she was bouncing and smiling again. (Although sometimes Volpina could hear the girl crying in her sleep at night and calling for her mother.)

Chloé absolutely _adored_ her and tried to spend as much time with her as possible, she was _way_ too happy to dress the girl up in her old clothes from when she was younger. And even though Manon seemed to like Adrien, Volpina and Chloé equally, she still clung to Marinette.

No, the Italian girl's agitation had _nothing_ to do with Manon. It had to do with the fact that it had been awfully quiet, call it fox instinct but it was just _too_ quiet. And she wasn't the only one, Plagg had been sensing it too, and if Adrien wasn't so distracted he would've done the same.

Chat Blanc and Miss Fortune were up to something, she just knew it. They had caused her and Chloé _a lot_ of trouble for doing just minor things, like saving someone; it just didn't make sense that they would go _three whole days_ without a single sound after they saw Ladybug and Chat Noir. Hell, Hawk Moth would've send each and everyone of his Akumatized victims to search for them 24/7!

That was the whole reason she woke Nadie in the middle of the night, transformed, and jumped out the window.

She ran through Paris, sticking to the shadows in case her suspicions were right and they were being watched. The hero clutched her flute tightly in her hand, expecting an attack at any moment. She stealthily made her way to the Eiffel Tower, the place the two villains had last been seen.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw someone already standing there.

Chat Noir smirked, almost lazily twirling his tail around as he leaned against the Tower. If it was up to him, he would've climbed all the way to the top, but Volpina stuck to the ground for some reason and he got curious, so he did the same. "I didn't know foxes were night animals," he teased, green eyes shining.

"You followed me? And I didn't _notice?"_

He grinned. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Foxy. I'm a cat, a _black_ one at that; it's easy to blend in the shadows."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "What are you doing here, Chat?" She ignored the nickname...for now.

"My whiskers were tingling," he joked, shrugging. "Turns out _someone_ was taking their leave in the middle of the night. I'm _feline_ a little hurt though, leaving without telling your friends."

Volpina sighed. "Suddenly I'm feeling a little bad for Ladybug, she has to deal with you _all_ the time."

 _"Me-ouch!"_

She glared.

The humor left his eyes and he straightened up. "No, seriously, what are you doing out here?"

"That doesn't really concern you, does it?"

His eyes narrowed. "Somehow I have a feeling you're lying. Care to tell me why?"

"Fine," she sighed. "Chat Blanc and Miss Fortune have been _way_ too quiet."

He frowned. "Come on, Volpina, it's only been three days-"

 _"Exactly,"_ she stressed. "You haven't even been here for a week, Chat. _You don't know._ Those two were constantly on the move, Honeybee and I couldn't go a day without hearing anything from them. Them being so quiet after meeting you and your girlfriend is a little suspicious, don't you think?"

He blushed at the girlfriend comment, not even bothering to correct her because if he was honest; he liked hearing the term. "Okay, you have a point."

She smirked. "Are you blushing?"

His blush darkened. "How did you-"

"Foxes have night vision too," she informed, chuckling at his embarrassed face. "Why did you come here alone?"

"Well, I figured you didn't even want _me_ here to begin with," he shrugged. "So why make it worse by bringing my Lady and Queen B?"

She nodded. "Well, let's go then," she tilted her head, eyes locking on the Eiffel Tower. He got the hint quickly, climbing up and moving like a real cat while doing so. He was a bit surprised when Volpina proved to be _much_ faster than him by reaching the top of the tower earlier than he did, although it made sense somewhere in the back of his mind.

They didn't climb all the way to the top; instead landing on the small terrace where Ladybug had fought Miss Fortune. Chat looked over the railing and winced when he saw the billboard he destroyed, crumbled on the ground and blocking anyone's way. Volpina didn't seem that bothered by the little nature display she caused and just focused on scanning the area.

The blond boy rolled his eyes, she was even _worse_ than Ladybug. At least she could be fun (one of the reasons why he fell for her) but Volpina just had work on her mind.

After five minutes of walking around (Chat had climbed up further to check there but came back down after finding nothing) Volpina got that feeling of it being too quiet again. Her eyes narrowed and she climbed onto the railing, keeping her balance perfectly as she scanned the city with her eyes, her night vision making it easier to see. Paris was as somber and lightless as she remembered.

She stepped back down, not surprised to see the cat themed hero standing next to her. "You know, I'm _pawsitive_ that look doesn't mean anything good. What's up?"

"I-"

Both of them tensed and bristled at the same time, they didn't have any time to react as Chat Blanc jumped from the shadows and tackled Chat to the ground; taking his weapon in the process. Chat hissed and struggled, not liking this _at all,_ it seemed _way_ too similar to the Copycat incident.

Volpina pulled her flute to her lips, but before she could start playing, someone leaned over her and snatched it from her fingers. Miss Fortune twirled in front of her, a smile on her face. "Not so fast, little cub," her red eyes shone as she tossed the flute behind her. Volpina didn't move, sure her blood was boiling, this girl just threw her flute to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Even if it couldn't be destroyed, it still pissed her off; but she couldn't show that. The sadistic _bitch_ would just love that.

So instead she caught Miss Fortune off guard by swiping at her legs, immediately moving to kick Blanc off Chat as she hit the ground; taking the hero's weapon back in the process and giving it back to him.

Chat drew his staff, his eyes narrowing as Miss Fortune calmly got up and brushed off her dress. She lifted her arms slightly to inspect her gloves, checking for any damage. When she found none, she leaned against the railing and started playing with her yo-yo, an almost _bored_ expression on her face.

The two heroes only realized why she was so calm when Blanc activated his Catastrophe.

At first Chat thought the only difference between the two attacks were the names (Cataclysm sounded _way_ cooler in his opinion) but Plagg and Nadie had explained the difference between Chat's Cataclysm and Blanc's Catastrophe. Apparently, he couldn't use his Cataclysm on people (he didn't know that) and, while the amount of destruction he could cause was immense, it couldn't compare to Blanc's power. Chat Blanc could destroy much more with his power and actually _could_ use it on people; giving them a quick but painful death.

For example, Chat wouldn't be able to destroy the entire Eiffel Tower in one go, maybe a part of it, but not everything. Blanc on the other hand could do it easily and still have power left to destroy more. Which was exactly what he was about to do.

The villain whistled innocently as he held his hand near one of the metal parts of the old monument, his yellow eyes shining dangerously.

Miss Fortune smirked and pulled back her yo-yo, she walked towards the two frozen heroes, her small heels clicking against the ground. "Now, you two lovelies have two options," she stated calmly. "Option one; you come with us. Option two; you escape and we destroy this old piece of junk. What do you say?" She winked.

Chat growled in annoyance but dropped his weapon anyway, not even having to look at Volpina to see that she was accepting their defeat too. He wasn't panicking or anything- okay, maybe he was _a little_ scared, but that was only for his identity; maybe they'd attack his family if they knew who he really was. Hell, maybe his mother _hadn't_ disappeared in this world!

Other than that...he was just plain angry.

Miss Fortune smiled and ruffled his hair, ignoring the way he hissed. "Good kitty."

Blanc smirked and touched a flower pot standing there for decoration, watching as it turned brown and turned into dust. "Let's go then."

Chat discreetly pulled his weapon towards him with his foot, pressing the green button shaped like a paw with his foot and rolling it over so they wouldn't see Ladybug's icon. He prayed she got his call, right before both he and Volpina got knocked out.

* * *

Marinette walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands off with a towel after having baked cookies with Manon. It was a simple but effective way to distract the child, maybe a little _too_ effective. Right now, she was sitting in front of the oven and watching the cookies bake; still covered in flour and icing sugar. She _refused_ to clean herself up because she wanted to watch the baking process. To her, it was like magic.

The teenage girl spotted Chloé sitting on the couch and flipping through a fashion magazine, which made Marinette smile. Some things didn't change, despite being stuck in a different dimension.

Somewhere in the back of her mind a little voice was yelling at her that she and Chat needed to get back as soon as possible, people would notice their absence and ask questions. Not to mention that their friends and family would be worried sick. But she blocked all of that out, this Paris needed them more at the moment than her hometown did.

The honey blonde haired girl looked up and smiled softly, patting the seat next to her.

Marinette took a seat and glanced at the kitchen were Manon was still sitting and a question popped up into her mind. One she had been meaning to ask since Manon's arrival.

"Hey Chloé?"

"Hmm?"

"How come I haven't seen any adults?"

The mayor's daughter tensed and glanced at a framed picture near the window, biting her lip at the sight of her smiling next to her dad. "Bubbler," was all she said, venom in her voice. "He took them, I know they're still alive. They're just...hidden, somewhere." There was determination in her light blue eyes as she uttered the next words. "We'll find them."

Marinette frowned. "Oh, I-"

Tikki flew towards them, a frantic look on her face. Honestly, she looked like she was about to faint.

"Tikki! What's wrong?" Marinette asked, jumping up. Out of instinct, Chloé looked around for Lizzie, relieved when she was sitting on a table, looking unharmed but worried.

"Chat...Plagg...contact-"

The black haired girl sighed. "Tikki, _breath."_

The red Kwami frowned but followed the advice. "Chat's contacting you, but I can't sense Plagg _or_ Nadie!"

Chloé paled, suddenly realizing something. "Mari...where are Adrien and Volpina?"

Marinette didn't react, instead she transformed (it was the only way she could answer a call from Chat) and grabbed her yo-yo, pressing the green answer button. She frowned, her heartbeat going faster as she was met by a black screen, no sign of Chat or Volpina, not even a sound. "Hello?" She called, still not hearing anything.

"Okay, something isn't right," she muttered, ending the call and pressing a few buttons.

"What are you doing?" Lizzie asked, flying closer.

Ladybug didn't even look back. "Finding out what that silly cat is doing."

A map appeared on the screen and she scrolled through until she found the image of a green paw flickering. She used to fingers to zoom in and frowned. "The signal is coming from the Eiffel Tower, come on, let's go."

"Marinette?" A timid voice asked, just as Chloé transformed.

She froze. Crap, she forgot about that little detail.

Ladybug crouched down in front of her, making a snap decision that would probably end badly. But she didn't have any other choice. "Manon, go put on your shoes. We've got to go."

The child frowned. "You're...Ladybug?"

The teen hero sighed. "Yes..."

"That's really cool!" She beamed, smiling brightly and surprising the two older girls. "I'll go put on my shoes right away!"

The little girl dashed past her, giving Ladybug only seconds to react, but those seconds seemed to be enough. She grabbed the girl's arm and gently pulled her back. "Wait, Manon, listen."

She frowned, never having seen Marinette _this_ serious about something. And just for that reason, she kept her mouth shut and listened, although she could do nothing about her feet bouncing up and down; she was just that excited.

"You _have_ to stay close to me or Chloé, and, if we tell you to run, you _run._ Whatever happens to us, don't look back. Just run and make sure you get away, got it?" Despite Ladybug trying to keep her voice gentle and warm, there was still a hint of strictness in her voice that she just couldn't hide. It was _important_ that Manon could do this, her life depended on it. Especially if Miss Fortune was going to be there.

Chat _didn't_ just call for no reason, and he especially didn't leave without a trace if it wasn't important. Something told her that he had been following Volpina, and if she knew anything about the fox themed hero, it was that she did everything for a reason. Something was wrong, very _very_ wrong.

Manon looked up at her with big golden brown eyes and nodded.

 _"If_ we get separated, you have to make your way back here," Queen B added softly, smiling gently. She was _a lot_ better at keeping her voice soft than Ladybug. "You'll always be able to find it, you can't miss it. A big mansion with shining lights, there's a key hidden in the bushes on the left, just take that and run in. Don't forget to lock the doors," she instructed.

The girl nodded again, running to go put on her shoes and jacket the moment Ladybug let go. The hero prayed with all her heart that nothing would happen to Manon as she went to turn the oven off.

But the bad thing was, something told her she wouldn't be coming back.

Minutes later, the girls walked out of the mansion, Manon clutching Ladybug's hand tightly. She yelped and giggled softly when the bug-themed hero lifted her up in one swift motion. "Hold on tight," the teen told her, touching her nose playfully with a finger.

Manon frowned and opened her mouth to ask why, curiosity leaking through. But when she saw Queen B swing her lasso in circles at top speed and throw it, shooting up in the sky with it; she decided not to ask any questions and wrap her tiny little arms around Ladybug's neck.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo going up with less speed and force than the honey blonde hero had done. She used the same strategy as she did before; sticking to the air. It made it a lot easier to travel quickly while carrying an eight year old child with her.

When they were a few feet away from the house, she stopped and looked down at Manon still clutching on to her for dear life. "What did you need to do again?" She quizzed, loud enough for Queen B to hear and stop.

"Stay close to you and Chloé, but run and hide when you tell me to," she recited almost perfectly.

Ladybug smiled. "Good, and if we get separated?"

"Go to the big mansion with shining lights," she mumbled, not really happy with the idea of not being near Marinette.

"Where's the hidden key?"

"In the bushes on the right...no, left!" She corrected, a cute smile on her face.

Ladybug nodded and kissed the girl's forehead before continuing to go to the Eiffel Tower.

She caught Queen B's eye as she passed her, shooting a fake smile in her direction when she noticed the worried look on the hero's face. She really hoped that her gut feeling was wrong and that everything would turn out fine, but, despite what Chat, the press, the Ladyblog, _everyone_ said, even _she_ had to accept that her luck didn't go that far.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Does anyone know what's going on with fanfiction? I keep getting emails from reviews and my review counter keeps getting higher but I can't actually see them on the site?**_

* * *

Chat kept kicking and struggling as the two villains put chains on them, only stopping when Volpina glared at him and hissed to stay still, motioning towards Miss Fortune with her eyes. He looked up, smirking when he saw the clear irritation in his Lady's counterpart. Part of him told him to continue, just to piss her off, but his rational part told him to follow Volpina's orders. Miss Fortune was unstable, he didn't want to risk anything by teasing her; as fun as it would be, it wasn't worth it.

They had tied their legs together and secured it with metal chains, just to be sure. They did the same thing with their hands, so now Chat and Volpina were on the ground, seemingly powerless. They were in a cold and dark room, the only reason the two heroes were able to see anything was because of their night vision; but if their Miraculous ran out, they would be blind.

Miss Fortune leaned down until she was eye-level with Volpina while Chat Blanc opened the curtains slightly, allowing a small streak of light to peak through so she could actually see their hostages.

"What is it, little cub?" She taunted, red eyes shining with victory. "Aren't you going to attack?"

Volpina stared right back, not a single emotion in her eyes. She didn't give any other reaction and Miss Fortune soon grew bored.

"Well, aren't you-"

Blanc's staff beeped and he smirked as he checked on it. "Timebreaker spotted Queen B and Ladybug near the Eiffel Tower...with the child."

"Manon?" Miss Fortune smirked and stood straight. "Good, I wasn't done with her yet," there was a sadistic look in her eyes as she smiled. Her eyes snapped to the two heroes one last time, winking and blowing them a kiss before leaving the room. Blanc followed her, but paused as he remembered something. "Oh, don't bother using your Cataclysm, Chat. It won't work, the only thing you'll do is use up your Miraculous. I made sure of it." He grinned, and for some reason Chat thought he wasn't lying.

The door closed, and they were all alone. The only source of light being the small streak coming through the curtain.

Volpina scoffed. "And I thought Italy was bad," she muttered, eyes cast downwards.

Chat frowned. "What?"

She jumped, as if she just realized that she said that aloud. Her mouth opened slightly before closing again, she repeated this a couple of times as she debated if she should tell him or not. Finally, she nodded to herself. "I ran away."

"All the way to _France?_ Why would you do that?"

She shrugged. "I just needed to get away, a different country didn't seem that bad at the time. All my family in Italy hated me, so why would I stay?"

"A better question is, why would they hate you?" Chat muttered. Sure, he hadn't talked to the fox themed hero much, but she seemed okay. Definitely not someone to hate, even if he was 'overly nice' (as a lot of people at school described him) there didn't seem any reason to _hate_ the girl.

"I'm bisexual," she blurted.

"Oh," he blinked. "Is it strange that it doesn't really surprise me?" He had seen it in the way she acted around Marinette and Chloé. She always seemed to be looking for physical contact, but he just brushed it off as a girl thing.

She laughed. "No, I guess I can be _a little_ flirty."

"Worse than me?"

"No, definitely not. I feel bad for Marinette every time you talk."

He smirked. "Secretly, she loves it."

Volpina rolled her eyes. "Sure she does, Chat." Her eyes focused on her lap and she sighed, clearly still focused on the topic of her family. It hurt. She had found out about herself when she was twelve and started crushing on a girl in her school, she had freaked out then, telling herself it was just a phase. Her parents were _strict_ believers, she knew they wouldn't accept it if they found out their daughter had a crush on a girl. So she went _months_ without telling, hoping it wasn't true and actually feeling relieved when she occasionally saw a guy running around and thought he was hot; but whenever she saw that same girl again...all the feelings started again. So she avoided the girl, although that hadn't helped either.

Finally, she had told her family. It was as bad as she expected. They had yelled at her, cursed at her in Italian and called her a demon child. They went so far that they dragged her to the nearest church and tried to 'exorcist' the demon from her, her mother had cried when it didn't work while her father just looked at her with full on _disappointment._ It hadn't taken long before her _entire_ family knew. Her siblings were told to avoid any contact with her, she wasn't even allowed to hold her newborn brother when he came. Her cousins started teasing her and calling her names while the adults just watched and did nothing. At parties she wasn't allowed to interact with the other kids, if she did, her aunts and uncles would pull their children closer to them, looking at her as if she had burned them, nothing but pure _disgust_ in their eyes.

Volpina had actually started to believe their words and began locking herself in her room, alone. No one would notice her crying, and if they did; nobody reacted. That was when a she found a strange necklace on her desk and Nadie appeared. She had been surprised that _she_ had been chosen to be a Miraculous holder, everyone called her a demon child, and if she really was one, why would anyone think of giving her that power and the chance to be a hero?

So, she accepted the job and all the responsibilities that were tied with it. After a few weeks of testing everything and figuring out the rules and stuff, she found a friend in Nadie. The fox Kwami was kind, motherly and supporting, she didn't care that Volpina liked both boys and girls; all she cared about was the good inside of her, and that made her happy. The Italian girl had made a snap decision after that, she had seen all the chaos being created in Paris on the news and she had seen the bee themed hero trying her best to fight back. So she grabbed her stuff and left in the middle of the night, not even bothering to leave a not behind. Hell, she hadn't even left a _trace_ of herself behind, it was as if she had never existed, which was probably what her family wanted.

She left Italy and moved to Paris when she was sixteen and was surprised when everything went well after that. At least, until Hawk Moth decided to destroy the city.

Chat noticed the look on her face and sighed. He was as bad at comforting people as he was with crying women, but the least he could do was try. "I know this probably won't make anything better, but for what it's worth...my family isn't all that great either."

Volpina stayed silent, although there was a small smile on her face.

"My mother disappeared when I was young," he continued. "My father turned very cold after that, he acted as if I didn't even exist. He acknowledges me now, but that's only when I need to model one of his new designs." He scoffed, eyes turning dark. "My cousin, Félix*...he wasn't very kind either. He's a few years older than me, but he's cold, boring and acts really mean. When my mother was still there I thought he was the _worst_ person on the planet, but then she disappeared and my father proved to be even worse," a humorless smile graced his lips. "It was funny, Félix actually seemed to have a heart after that; he started talking to me a lot more and actually acted nice...although he was still the same to anyone that wasn't me. I don't see him a lot though, my father focuses too much on his work to meet up with his family, and he doesn't allow me to go either."

"That sucks," was the only thing Volpina said, leaning her head back against the wall.

Chat mirrored her actions, looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah."

* * *

The moment Ladybug had the feeling that they were being followed, she ran into an alley and dropped Manon there; leaving Queen B to distract Timebreaker.

There was fear in the child's eyes as the hero crouched down and uttered a single word; "Run."

She swung her yo-yo and climbed back up to the roof, not saying anything else or looking back. She immediately moved to attack Timebreaker and help Queen B, hoping that Manon would listen.

In the middle of the fight, Timebreaker stopped and turned, jumping off the roof and skating away at top speed without a word.

Queen B blinked. "...what?"

"Maybe she realized she was losing?" Ladybug wondered, shrugging.

A figure landed behind them. "Wouldn't that be... _fortunate?"_

The two slowly turned around to see Miss Fortune standing there, red eyes flashing and her black and red yo-yo in her hand. She looked a bit disappointed for some reason. "Aww, where is little Manon?"

Ladybug tensed. "You won't find her. Where are Chat and Volpina?"

"Oh, _relax!"_ She giggled. "The kitten and little cub are fine...for now, at least. The better question is if _you'll_ be okay!"

Queen B's eyes narrowed, her eyes scanning the area quickly. It was rare for Miss Fortune to show up without Chat Blanc and vice versa, she didn't trust this.

Miss Fortune must've noticed. "You won't find him, blondie, he got called back." She frowned as those words left her mouth. It was really strange, just when they were about to leave, he had been called by his father, the tone of his voice making it clear it was an order and not a request. He couldn't possibly have found out about their hostages or the arrival of Ladybug and Chat Noir, they had erased any type of evidence that hinted at them. And they had been _very_ thorough with doing it, they even had to...ah, _eliminate_ some witnesses, including the once that were on their side. Lady WiFi wouldn't keep her mouth shut, so they had to take care of her before she could go blabbing to Mr. Agreste.

Those words didn't help Queen B relax at all, but she didn't comment on it further.

Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo, twirling it around at top speed until only a red streak going around in circles could be seen. "I'm serious, Fortune. _Where are they?"_

"Ooh! Touchy, aren't we?" She grinned and tilted her head. "Tell me, Ladybug, does this have more to do with Chat than Volpina?"

Her eyes narrowed and she pulled her yo-yo back, much to the villain's disappointment. She had been toying with her, she _wanted_ Ladybug to lose her cool and attack, but she wouldn't let that happen. _Especially_ not through teasing.

Queen B aimed her bee-gun. "Stop playing games."

Miss Fortune pouted. "Too bad, I like games," without warning, she swung her yo-yo at them and both dodged. It almost hit Ladybug, just a centimeter or so, if the blades hadn't been pulled back, she would've been cut.

Both girls rushed forward and attacked, clear frustration on their faces as Miss Fortune managed to fight both of them with ease. She dodged and countered perfectly, but she didn't straight out attack; she only did that when one of the two wasn't near and it was one-on-one for a second. That seemed to be the _only_ disadvantage she had.

Ladybug didn't know _how,_ but she managed to kick her counterpart off the roof and she crashed into the ground; not having time to slow down her fall. The heroes didn't hesitate to jump after her, surprised when she got up and brushed off her dress as if nothing happened. Sure, she wouldn't have _died,_ the fall wasn't that far, but she would've at least been injured! Maybe fractured or broken a couple of bones, but she seemed perfectly fine.

"Now that, was just _rude."_

* * *

 _ ***Oh, would you look at that! I brought an old friend back! Say hi, Félix!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Okay, so apparently the review issue has been fixed. Oh, and I may need to limit my updates to the weekends because school started again and my teachers decided it'd be fun to kick off the year with a shit-ton of homework and tests (-_-)**_

* * *

Ladybug and Queen B had lost.

After what felt like hours of going against Miss Fortune, Chat Blanc had showed up and everything went downhill from that point.

The black haired hero found it strange that they didn't take their Miraculouses immediately. After Tikki had said that she couldn't sense Plagg, she figured it was because he got taken. Either they had taken him and Nadie, or they hadn't. She would only know once they regrouped...if they ever did.

After having tied the two girls up, Miss Fortune took Ladybug's yo-yo; making it impossible for her to use her Lucky Charm. The villain glanced at the toy with boredom in her eyes. "Really? Mine is _so_ much cooler!"

Ladybug glared at her.

Blanc disappeared wordlessly, before reappearing with two items in his hands. "Look what I found," he tossed one of the items to Miss Fortune and she caught it swiftly.

"Oh!" She smiled and turned Chat's weapon in her hand, showing Ladybug's caller ID to her and Queen B. "Looks like somebody made a last minute call!" She glanced at Blanc, who was twirling Volpina's flute around in his fingers. When he caught her staring, he winked at her and it sent shivers down Ladybug's spine. It was eerily similar to what her own Kitty would do, she had hoped that since it was a different world, Blanc's personality would be way off so she wouldn't be thinking of Chat if she ever had to fight him. But the little things he did...it was as if she was watching her partner in a different costume.

Blanc's weapon beeped and he rolled his eyes, not even bothering to see who was calling. _"Ma chéri,_ we should go. He's going to get suspicious and we left our... _guests_ alone for far too long. A little rude, don't you think?" He smirked.

Queen B locked eyes with Ladybug, a worried look in them. Ladybug shot her a smile, even if she didn't have a plan, whatever happened, they would get out of this situation and stop Hawk Moth. _All_ of them would.

* * *

Chat looked down at the chains on his arms, they were attached to the wall. The chains on his legs had been removed, something about kitties needing to stretch, the same thing being done for Volpina. But as he looked at the chains and the walls, he felt like hitting himself with a pole.

"I am such an _idiot!"_ He muttered to himself, silently cursing his brain for not coming up with the idea sooner.

Volpina opened one eye, raising an eyebrow. "Glad you noticed," she murmured, leaning her head back against the wall.

Chat narrowed his eyes but didn't react on the comment, instead, he pushed himself to his feet and smirked. "I'd get my head off the wall if I were you," he advised, not even giving the girl the time to ask questions before he gave a yell and activated his Cataclysm. He had to admit that he was amused by how quickly Volpina got out of the way, but to avoid getting drop-kicked by her, he just placed his claws against the wall. The glowing black energy quickly eating at the wall until it crumbled into dust. There were still small blocks attached to the end of their chains, but they could worry about that later.

"Chat! I never thought I'd say this, but that was _genius!"_ Volpina praised, running into the dark hallway.

"Go," Chat told her, already hearing his Miraculous beep.

Volpina turned and frowned. "What are you-"

"I've got about five minutes left until I change back, I'll just be slowing you down," he explained. "Go, find Ladybug and Queen B, I'll go the other way and see what I can do."

"It's dark, you won't see anything without your night vision."

He shrugged and gave her a boyish grin. "I've got Plagg with me."

She hesitated at first, before finally giving in. They didn't have much time to bicker, and the fact that he said _Ladybug_ meant he was dead serious. She had no choice, even if Ladybug would destroy her the moment she heard she had left Chat on his own when he was so close to transforming back.

So, she nodded, and ran, following her instincts and hoping Chat would be okay.

* * *

Ladybug hissed as the two villains tossed her on the ground roughly. Queen B yelped as she hit the ground, the impact affecting her already bruising injuries and making it even worse. She looked around the room, a frown on her face. The blonde was _sure_ she'd been to every single place in Paris...but she didn't recognize this place at all. She turned her head to face her friend, surprised to see her skin pale drastically.

The blue eyed girl remembered this place all too well.

She looked around the room, the dim lighting, the huge window that had a perfect view of the city, the multiple white butterflies flapping their wings. It send shivers down her spine. They were in Hawk Moth's hideout.

Almost on cue, the villain walked out of the shadows, a wide grin on his face. Ladybug was confused to see Chat Blanc scowl and turn away, almost in disgust as he crossed his arms. Miss Fortune glanced worriedly at him, discreetly slipping her hand in his and giving it a squeeze before letting go and folding her hands behind her back. "Sir."

"Fortune," Hawk Moth greeted politely, his lips curling into a sneer as his eyes locked on the boy. "Son."

Blanc's yellow eyes flashed dangerously. "Father," he hissed back, spitting the word out as if it was venom in his mouth. Out of pure instinct, Miss Fortune stretched her arm out across his stomach, keeping him in place in case he decided to do something stupid and lunge forward. It wouldn't be the first time those two fought. They had always been at each other's throat, from what she heard, even before she met Blanc, it rarely turned physical. But when it did...she always had to use her yo-yo to break them apart, sometimes making small cuts on their arms if they went to far. She'd get in trouble with Hawk Moth, but nothing extreme. Blanc wouldn't allow it (neither would she) and the villain himself saw that she prevented something...unfortunate.

Meanwhile, Ladybug had frozen completely. Her eyes nearly jumped out of her sockets and her heart was beating so fast she worried that it would stop. _This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening, someone **please** tell her this wasn't happening! _

As much as the girl prayed, Queen B's perplexed look told her enough. This was very much happening and it was very much real. It had been pretty clear from the start that Chat Blanc was, in fact, Adrien. Miss Fortune hadn't made it very hard to guess. And if that was the case, and if Hawk Moth was his father, it could only mean that...

 _Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth._

She suddenly felt sick, her stomach twisting painfully and feeling as if all of her organs were being mixed up or replaced. The _thought_ alone of her Kitty's dad being...being _Hawk Moth._ It was disturbing, and all kinds of _wrong._ Her eyes took in the way Blanc and Hawk Moth acted around each other and she shut them tightly, feeling even sicker as a sudden thought slipped into her mind. It didn't matter what universe they were in, Gabriel still didn't care about his son. Despite the situation they were in, Ladybug's mind was set on Chat Noir. If her Kitty ever found out...it would break him. Adrien wouldn't be able to handle it, hell, _Chat_ would have trouble keeping his cool! For the love of- _she_ was having trouble keeping her cool! She honestly felt as if she was going insane.

Hawk Moth walked closer, menacingly twirling his cane around as a group of white butterflies followed him around, the rest of the beautiful creatures not bothering themselves with stalking the man that gave them power, or, 'life.' He made his first stop in front of Queen B, grabbing her face in his hands and looking bored out of his mind. "Why is this... _child_ here?" He spoke, looking at his son and Miss Fortune expectantly. The latter seemed a little uncomfortable underneath his gaze, while the former was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.

Ladybug frowned, she found it...strange that Miss Fortune seemed so uncomfortable, not to mention Blanc seemed to outright _despise_ his father. Sure, Adrien and Gabriel didn't have a very good relationship, but she knew the boy didn't hate his father. Despite all of the man's wrongdoings, whenever Adrien (or Chat) talked about his father, she could hear the hidden love in his words. And yes, Gabriel acted as if his son only existed for photo shoots, but she was _sure_ he didn't hate his son.

"She was with Ladybug, sir." Miss Fortune answered, the nervous look only lingering in her red eyes as she stood straight and held her chin up. Arms still behind her back as she did so. Her voice wasn't emotionless, or sadistic, or crazy, it wasn't even mocking. It was the kind of tone a soldier would use to his general, which seemed to irritate Blanc to no end. He slipped an arm around her waist, almost possessively as he pulled her closer. He blatantly ignored the icy look she shot him, her glare deadly. Instead, he focused on keeping his eyes locked on anything but the man standing in front of the bee-themed hero.

Speaking of which, Queen B looked straight into Hawk Moth's eyes. The childish blonde had a sudden look of defiance on her face as she glared at him, almost daring him to do something. But, despite the look she was wearing, she knew she couldn't do anything. They were powerless at the moment, so, when the villain took her bracelet from her and she changed back, she couldn't do anything other than scream Lizzie's name as she got taken. Ladybug struggled as hard as she could, but Miss Fortune (and the chains) kept her in place.

It was a horrible feeling, having your powers stripped from you like that. It felt as if a great portion of your soul was being taken from you. And that _hurt,_ immensely. In that moment, Chloé could do nothing but fall to her knees, gasping in pain as the after effects took its toll on her. She was aware of Lizzie's screams and pleads as she got sucked into the amulet, and her heart shattered into a million pieces before turning into dust. Her hands were trembling as her delicate hands curled up into fists. Tears rolled down her face and dripped to the ground, the sound of her precious Kwami's cries still fresh on her mind. She felt empty, cold. Lizzie was quite literally her second half, she felt soulless.

"Chloé Bourgeois," Hawk Moth mused, seemingly surprised. "The mayor's daughter."

Hawk Moth chuckled to himself and made his way to Ladybug, dread filling her and pooling in her stomach. She didn't really care about her identity or being stripped from her powers, all she could focus on at that moment was Tikki's safety. Her mind was set entirely on that, she saw how much Lizzie was in pain as she was being sucked into the amulet, and Ladybug outright _refused_ to let that happen to Tikki. She was sure the look in her eyes wasn't as defiant or confident as she wanted it to be, and judging from Hawk Moth's sick grin, she was right.

"Pathetic," he spat. "You aren't as heroic or powerful as the others made you out to be. They kept rambling how you would be the one to stop me, purely because of the fact that you're the _only_ one who can cleanse an Akuma and restore everything with your Miraculous Cure. But they were wrong." He pulled her closer. "You're just a weak little schoolgirl who knows nothing of the real world and lives in a fantasy, just like _her,"_ he pointed his cane at Chloé and something in Ladybug snapped. She felt anger course through her and she looked straight into his eyes, the longer she looked, the stronger she felt.

"She is _not_ weak!" She hissed, sounding more like a yell. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Chloé stiffen and sit up. Her hands were still trembling fists and tears were still streaming down her cheeks like a waterfall. Her eyes looked dull, devoid from any life. But, much to Ladybug's relief, she wasn't completely gone. Multiple black Akumas were circling her and Hawk Moth's butterfly symbol framed her face. But whatever they were telling her, whatever lies they were force-feeding her, it didn't seem to have any effect. That blank look stayed on her face and she kept staring in front of her, her clenched fists shaking more violently by the minute as more and more tears streamed down. But she didn't make a sound. This just proved Ladybug's earlier statement; Chloé Bourgeois was _not_ weak.

Hawk Moth ignored her small act of defiance, placing his hand to her cheek almost _gently_ and slowly sliding up, obviously heading for her earrings. She jerked back, surprised to feel Blanc's tight grip on the back of her head, holding her in place for her father to take her Miraculous. Even if the boy loathed the man, he was still loyal.

Ladybug jumped up in surprise when a shadow zipped past, seconds before it knocked Miss Fortune to the ground, making the hero drop the confiscated weapons and allowing Volpina to take her flute. She took a glance at Chloé and an outright _furious_ look appeared on her face as she took in the broken state of the girl. The look on her face rivaled Blanc's hatred of his father and even _Ladybug_ felt the need to cower underneath her stare.

Volpina started playing her flute, using the villains' surprise to her advantage as she grabbed Ladybug's yo-yo and tossed it to her. It was getting hard for the Italian girl to play because of the chains and small boulders, which led to the tornado she was creating to not be as powerful as it was meant to be. Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and swung it in the air, activating her Lucky Charm and not surprised (for once) at the object dropping into her hands. It was a _very_ sharp looking scissor, clearly designed for cutting metal. It was red and had black spots all over it, mimicking a Ladybug pattern, the hero was quick to cut her own chains before cutting Volpina's, allowing her to up her game. The small tornado she created increased in speed, sucking in each and every Akuma or butterfly it could take, she moved until she was standing in front of Chloé, motioning for Ladybug to get out of there as the hero moved to cut the chains off the honey blonde.

Ladybug clearly didn't want to, but Volpina wasn't about to give in and the villains were starting to snap out of their shock. So she ran away, looking for a safe place to transform and hoping to find Chat at the same time.

After minutes of running, she found him, and her heart skipped a beat.

Marinette had already changed back by then, and from the looks of it, so had Adrien. She hugged him tightly, nearly suffocating him and frowning when he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. The small action made her breath hitch and her face flush, but she still had the brains to realize something was wrong, so she pulled away. He looked _horrible,_ as if his whole life just got pulled apart and destroyed, his green eyes full of shock and betrayal, which reminded her...

"Adrien...I-I need to tell you something," she started, looking down. "Hawk Moth, he's-"

He grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together and squeezing it before letting go. That's when she noticed there weren't any chains on his hands, either he found a way to get rid of it or it disappeared with his transformation. "I know, I just came from his office," he spoke, voice timid. "Where's Volpina?"

"Fighting, I used my Lucky Charm so she send me away."

"Chloé?"

Marinette's jaw clenched, anger lighting up in her pretty blue eyes like fire. "Got stripped of her powers, we need to do something. Volpina can't hold them off forever."

Tikki flew closer, looking a little tired, but not as exhausted as before. "Let's go then!"

"Tikki, you just transformed-"

"No," a muffled voice called. "She's right...for once." Plagg flew out of Adrien's jacket, surprising everyone. They never would've expected _him_ to agree with _Tikki_ of all people! (Kwami's?) "We need to transform again, don't worry about us."

After some persuasion and a short 'Spots on!' and 'Claws out!' Chat Noir and Ladybug were rushing back towards the main fight.

Volpina had dragged Chloé out of the way, but looked very bruised, a couple of scratches on her arm were visible, obviously from Blanc. There were also a couple of cuts on her face, Miss Fortune's work. The Akumas were still trapped in the tornado, despite her flute being kicked away from her, and right now, all three villains were closing in on her, having cornered her and making her completely defenseless.

Ladybug swung her yo-yo, the toy wrapping around Miss Fortune's hand just as she was about to strike.

"Three against one, a little unfair, don't you think, my Lady?" Chat mused, leaning against his staff (which reappeared whenever he transformed) his trademark grin was on his face, although his eyes narrowed when they locked on Hawk Moth and his smile faltered a little. He made sure not to look at the man since that moment, he knew his beautiful Lady would worry, and he wouldn't want that.

"Fortune, Blanc, _get them!"_ Hawk Moth hissed, making Chat flinch slightly. Now that he knew, he kept hearing his father's voice, which was just painful.

Chat Blanc scowled, obviously not liking being pushed around by his father. But despite that, he cracked his knuckles and slowly advanced anyway, Miss Fortune walking next to him, her heels clicking on the ground. She seemed a lot more relaxed now, the insane glint in her red eyes was back, mixed with a sick sense of calmness. Her eyes shone, and a grin graced her lips as Blanc uttered the next words.

"How about we get rid of you for real this time?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chloé was panicking.

The shock of losing Lizzie had wore off, and everything that was happening had actually started to kick in. She still felt empty and soulless without the presence of her beloved bee Kwami, but now she could also see that her other friends were in danger too. Volpina looked a bit beaten and bruised from having all three villains gang up on her before Chat and Ladybug arrived, but despite that, there was a determined look on her face and she absolutely _refused_ to stop fighting. Every once in a while she had to play her flute while fighting, mostly to keep the tornado going instead of using her powers against Miss Fortune.

Ladybug was fighting Blanc, looking very confused and hurt at times. She _knew_ it wasn't her Kitty, but that didn't mean she liked fighting against him. Sure, it wasn't as bad as the Copycat incident, back then it had been the spitting image of Chat and she ended up not knowing who was who. But at the same time, Blanc was Adrien, which made it worse.

 _Chat,_ on the other hand...oh, Chloé felt bad for him. He got stuck with fighting Hawk Moth, his own father. And, judging from the way he was acting, he knew it. He was hesitating, only dodging attacks instead of throwing them. Hawk Moth seemed to realize that too, judging from the smirk on his face as he advanced on the hero, multiple butterflies surrounding him.

Chloé's attention shifted back to Volpina, her blood running cold to see her lying on the ground, Miss Fortune standing over her body with a smirk on her face and that insane glint in her red eyes. The villain kicked the flute behind her and crouched down next to Volpina, stroking her hair with her gloved fingers. "Such a shame," she sighed. "You're really pretty, you know?" She smiled as Volpina glared at her and tried to get up, only to be forced back down by Miss Fortune punching her in the gut. The villain's eyes flashed and she cracked her knuckles. "Oh well, can't say I won't enjoy this." She shrugged, pushing the black button on her yo-yo and smiling as the blades shot out of it.

The blonde knew this was a reckless action, but who knows how many times Volpina had saved her? She was only returning the favor.

Chloé slipped away from her hiding spot, making sure not to be spotted by anyone. Her friends would stop her, and the other three would try to kill her. Neither option sounded good at the moment. The mayor's daughter ran and tackled Miss Fortune, not noticing how close to the window they were standing. The villain got caught of guard by it, she automatically placed her hand on the girl's shoulders, dropping her weapon in the process. The large window shattered, glass shards exploding and flying across the whole room, if Hawk Moth hadn't sidestepped at the right time, he'd have been cut.

"Chloé!" Volpina yelled, eyes wide as she strained to get up. She cursed when her arms shook and her legs gave out, surely some of her bones had been broken; but that didn't mean she'd just give up. She had to save Chloé, she just _had_ to.

Ladybug used the distraction to kick Blanc in the face, sending him flying back. She didn't say a word as she ran and followed suit, jumping out of the window after them. She was aware of Chat's calls for her, but at the moment, she ignored them. She soared down at top speed, fear pooling at the bottom of her stomach as she remembered the events similar to this one. When she and Chat fell, she was sure they'd die, and now, here she was, jumping out of that very same window to save two people- one of them being her evil counterpart who had tried to kill her multiple times.

The hero somehow caught up to them and grabbed Chloé's hand, swinging her yo-yo up and letting out a breath of relief when it hooked itself onto one of the glass shards still stuck in the windowsill. She glanced behind her, feeling a bit bitter when she saw Miss Fortune holding on to Chloé. Deep down, _very_ deep down, a part of her had hoped that Miss Fortune wouldn't make it, because of all the things she did to sweet little Manon. But then again, despite her wishes, Ladybug knew she wouldn't have let the villain just die. She tugged on the toy once, the rope immediately pulling them up at top speed. As they reached the top, she was met face to face with Hawk Moth and Ladybug got a sudden sense of déjà vu.

Hawk Moth grinned, staring down at the three people hanging from the window. He hooked the end of his cane in the rope of the yo-yo, if he just tugged upwards a little the toy would unhook itself from the glass and they'd fall. He didn't have to worry about Chat or Volpina, the girl wasn't even able to move and he had trapped Chat with his Akumas, the villain was free to do as he pleased.

 _"Stop!"_

Hawk Moth froze and shivers ran down Miss Fortune's spine.

Chat Blanc ran up towards his father, his yellow eyes frantic and a bit dull. "Mari doesn't have her yo-yo, if you drop them she'll die!" He hissed, and for once since Ladybug had met him, he showed some type of emotion. His eyes were on his father, occasionally slipping to meet Miss Fortune's, nothing but worry in them.

Hawk Moth rolled his eyes. "So?"

Blanc clenched his fists and Miss Fortune cast her eyes downwards. This wasn't really a surprise to her, she knew Hawk Moth would kill both of them if he needed to, although it still hurt to be betrayed like that. Her jaw clenched and her red eyes lit up with fire, if her 'boss' could do it, then why couldn't she?

She looked up, smiling sadly at Blanc. _"Au revoir, mon chéri."_

Before anyone could realize what she was doing, she reached inside her dress and pulled a blade-less yo-yo from her bra. It's rope wasn't as long as that of her other weapon, so it was only enough for two people. And judging from the determined look in her red eyes, she had already made her decision. She swung her yo-yo, once, twice, three times. The toy wrapped around Chloé and Ladybug and she tugged to make sure it was secure before swinging it one last time, smiling when it hooked around one of the glass shards far from Hawk Moth. Her eyes locked on Blanc one last time and he swore he could see a single tear running down from her left eye and onto her mask before she let go of the yo-yo, making Chloé and Ladybug shoot up and into the building.

Miss Fortune closed her eyes as she fell, the wind rushing past her ears. She could feel herself getting closer to the ground, but she wasn't prepared for the painful blow, followed by a loud _snap_ as nearly every bone in her body broke the moment she hit the ground. The last sign she showed of living was a strangled gasp before her body went limp.

Hawk Moth was so surprised by the unexpected turn of events that he unintentionally let go of his control of the Akumas, giving Chat the room to move. He didn't use it though, he stood frozen, his mind not wanting to belief what just had happened.

"Truly unfortunate," Hawk Moth muttered, sounding a bit bored. He turned to the two teenage girls on the ground with a smirk on his face, his eyes flickering to the yellow eyed boy. "Son, get the remaining Miraculous," he ordered. "Avenge her death."

Blanc stayed mute, his shaky hands grabbing his weapon. He extended his staff a little, eyes looking lost and teary. His eyes shifted to Chloé and Ladybug, then to Volpina and finally they locked on Chat. The white-clad villain's grip on his staff tightened, claws almost digging in the material. He raised the weapon and threw it with lethal intentions.

...right at his father.

Blanc chuckled and cracked his neck. "Oh, her death will be avenged all right," he rolled his shoulders, his glare set on the man who 'raised' him. He opened his palm, sparks of electricity flickering in his hand before he lunged at Hawk Moth. And this time, Miss Fortune wasn't here to stop him.

As the two fought, Chat made his way to Volpina, pulling her up and dragging her out of the way before moving on to Ladybug and Chloé and cutting Miss Fortune's rope with his claws. The latter immediately headed towards Volpina while Ladybug and Chat stuck together, watching the scene with wide eyes.

Chat's green eyes scanned over Ladybug's body. "You okay?" He asked softly.

She shrugged. "Been worse."

Blanc tossed Hawk Moth to the ground and yanked the butterfly pendant from the man's collar before tossing it behind him at Ladybug, who caught it. "You do your thing," he instructed, cracking his knuckles. "And I'll do mine," his eyes narrowed as he stared at his father.

Ladybug and Chat glanced at each other before she smashed the pendant on the ground, shattering it into multiple tiny pieces. Hawk Moth's transformation wore of and he shifted back into Gabriel, making the blond hero inhale sharply, his father's eyes looked as cold as ever; even if he was being beaten mercilessly.

A black butterfly Kwami appeared, looking scared and angry at the same time.

"Trap it," Volpina instructed, leaning against the wall for support.

Ladybug glanced at the Kwami and back at her yo-yo, frowning. "No," she shook her head.

Chloé blinked. "If you don't, it'll just find a new host."

The masked hero shook her head again. "I won't," she repeated.

"My Lady-"

"This has been happening for millennia because you keep trapping the poor thing," she explained, determination in her blue eyes. "I'm pretty sure that if we trap him again he'll just escape in a few years and then the heroes from that timeline will have to do this all over again! Why didn't anyone try to _cleanse_ him from evil instead of locking him up and making it worse?" She asked, her words making even Blanc stop from killing his father, just so he could listen.

Volpina and Chloé seemed a bit wary. _"Coccinella,_ I don't think that'll work-"

"We have to try!" Ladybug insisted, cutting the fox-themed hero of.

Chat slipped his hand in hers, smiling when she looked at him in surprise. "She's right," he stated. "The least we can do is try," his eyes locked on Chloé. "Who knows, maybe we can get Lizzie back this way?"

Her light blue eyes seemed thoughtful, filling with hope at his words. Finally, she nodded in approval and smiled. Chloé turned to face Volpina, urging her to agree.

The Italian girl raised an eyebrow. "You're all agreeing to this?"

Chloé nodded and Chat smirked. "It isn't proper to deny a Princess, now is it?"

Ladybug rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, her face flushing a little.

Volpina sighed. "Fine."

Ladybug smiled and squeezed Chat's hand before letting go and walking towards the terrified looking Kwami, she opened her yo-yo. "You ready, Tikki?" She whispered, smile widening when she felt the ladybug Kwami agree. She swung the toy, trapping the Kwami inside, she waited a couple of seconds before letting go, surprised to see a yellow bee Kwami fly out first.

Chloé squealed and didn't hesitate to hug Lizzie close to her, tears in her eyes.

A few seconds passed, and slowly, another Kwami flew out. Ladybug smiled when she saw the butterfly Kwami, but instead of the black color he had before, his skin was now a bright pastel pink color, and he was smiling. He was soon followed by two Kwami's of different colors, a green turtle Kwami and a blue bird Kwami.

Volpina whistled. "Well, I wasn't actually expecting that to _work."_

"But it did," Blanc spoke up, his voice low and surprising everyone. His glowing yellow eyes were still focused on his father, a smirk on his face when he saw all the blood running down his face. "You guys better leave now," his eyes shifted to Chat. "Especially you, I don't think you want to see this, Adrien."

Chat blinked, it was weird, hearing himself talk to him, but the warning (advice?) was clear. Whether they tried to stop it or not, Gabriel Agreste's fate was set in stone; he would die, and his son would be the one to do it. The hero's green eyes went to the bleeding man for a second and he flinched when he found him already staring at him. "Son," he gasped out weakly. "Help me."

Blanc kicked him in the gut, glaring daggers at him. "Don't listen to him, you know it isn't your father, he's just playing tricks on you," he snarled.

"I..." Chat stopped as Ladybug grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Her blue eyes were locked on him and he kept his eyes on her, blocking out the sound of Gabriel calling for him. Blanc was right, he was just playing tricks.

The four heroes and three Kwami's climbed out of the window and onto the roof.

"Ladybug," Blanc called before she left, making her tense.

"Yes?"

"When you fix everything...wait until twelve PM tonight," he instructed, making her frown. Her blue eyes searched his emotionless yellow ones, but she was unable to read them. She couldn't find any motive and she was about to decline, but then she thought about how he just lost Miss Fortune, and from the way he was acting, it was clear he loved her, so she nodded and followed her friends.

When he was sure everyone was gone, Blanc glanced at the large clock in the corner of the room. Nine PM. He smirked, his eyes glowing. "Looks like we've got three hours to ourselves, _father."_

* * *

When the four heroes entered the mansion, both Volpina and Chat tensed up. The Italian girl's ears twitched (surprising everyone, they were sure her ears were fake) and she stood straight, her eyes narrowing before she burst through the doors. Crashes and screams could be heard, followed by Manon's terrified scream, which send Ladybug into action. Queen B and Chat glanced at each other before following.

They found Volpina, in the living room, pinning down Nino. Not The Bubbler, _Nino._

"Volpina! Wait!" Chat called.

Ladybug walked in, carrying Manon in her arms. "Let him go, Volpina, it's safe."

Manon nodded her head. "Yeah! He saved me!"

At the child's words, Volpina jumped off the boy and brushed her clothes off. "Talk," she ordered coldly.

Nino pushed himself up, eyes warily set on the fox-themed hero. Queen B rolled her eyes and pushed Volpina out of the way to give him some breathing room before holding her hand out for him to take, ignoring the way Volpina stood in a corner with her arms crossed, grumbling to herself in Italian.

Manon jumped out of Ladybug's arms, her pigtails almost slapping her in the face from the small action. "He found me and brought me here! He stayed with me until you came back!"

"Why?" Chat questioned, arms crossed as he casually leaned against the wall. Don't get him wrong, he was more than thrilled that his best friend was here, but in this universe, you couldn't trust anyone.

Nino shrugged. "I left, after Fortune and Blanc killed Alya...I got out of there. I didn't want to stay with them anymore. They're horrible."

Ladybug bit her lip. "Miss Fortune's dead."

"Good riddance," he scoffed, adjusting his glasses.

"She and Chat Blanc saved us," Queen B muttered softly.

Nino blinked. "What?"

"Not important right now," Volpina cut in, glancing at the clock. _"Coccinella,_ don't you need to do something right now?"

Her blue eyes shifted to the clock, nodding when she noticed it was already twelve. "Right," she climbed out of the window and stood on the rooftop, calling her Lucky Charm before tossing it into the air and watching as everything that had been destroyed started fixing itself. It didn't take long before everything had been turned back to normal.

She slipped back in, nearly getting the fright of her life when _Volpina_ wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer. "Thank you, Marinette," she breathed. The girl was surprised, but returned the hug anyway. When they broke apart, she transformed, the other three heroes following suit. They didn't have to worry about Nino, the boy knew fully well what would happen if he told, besides, it's not like he actually _wanted_ to tell.

Marinette took a deep breath before smiling at Nino. "Thanks for watching Manon."

"Eh," he shrugged. "No problem." He acted calm, but he was pretty sure everyone knew how uncomfortable he was with Adrien and Marinette in the room, thankfully, no one commented on it.

A sob could be heard, and everyone turned to see Chloé with tears running down her face and Lizzie looking worriedly at the girl.

"Are you okay, Honeybee?" Volpina asked carefully, stepping forward.

The blonde shook her head. "No," she sniffed. "They have no reason to stay anymore," she wiped the tears with the back of her hand, although more kept falling down her face.

The room went silent and Adrien and Marinette glanced at each other a bit uneasily. They hadn't thought about that at all. Now that this Paris was saved...they didn't have to stay, they had to go back to their world...which meant leaving behind their newly found friends. They were sure that once they went back, there were going to be a lot of this they needed to deal with. Surely everyone would have noticed Chat Noir and Ladybug disappearing for a month the same time Adrien and Marinette did, not to mention that Hawk Moth could make as many Akumas as he wanted seeing as they wouldn't be there to stop him.

Marinette looked at Manon, smiling softly when she saw the child's eyes droop and her stumbling to stay on her feet. She was tired. The black haired girl picked her up. "How about we deal with this tomorrow?" She suggested, looking down at Manon with a soft expression on her face. "After we've gotten some rest and got her home safely."

No one protested.

* * *

Marinette groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly, she glanced at the clock, groaning again when she saw it was three AM. The girl buried her face in her pillow, pulling her covers over her head to drown out the sound of the rapid knocking on her door. She'd kill the person who thought it was a good idea to wake her in the middle of the night.

Tikki rolled her eyes and nudged the girl. "Come on, Marinette, you should open the door. Maybe it's important."

The girl made a sound of protest before forcing herself out of bed and dragging her feet towards the door. She swung it open, surprised to see Adrien standing there. "Adrien?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes, too tired to realize how unattractive she was being in front of her crush. "Do you realize how late it is?"

He didn't answer, just stepped in and closed the door behind him before pulling her into a hug, causing her to jolt awake. She stood frozen, not quite knowing how to react.

"You've always been there for me, Marinette," he breathed softly, pulling her even closer. "Even if I didn't know it...thank you."

She frowned and pulled away from him, her eyes widening when she saw the pain in his. "Adrien, are you okay? What's wrong?!"

He smiled, although a bit weakly as he shook his head.

"Is this about your father?" She pressed, worry in her bright blue eyes.

He sighed and shrugged. "I expected many things from him, but this..." He trailed off and this time she was the one to wrap her arms around him.

"It'll be okay," she whispered, running her hands through his hair, all thoughts of sleep disappearing. "I promise."

"Even you can't promise that," he replied, voice soft.

She pulled away and winked. "Hey, I'm Lady Luck, you never know!"

Adrien chuckled and she frowned. "This isn't just about your father, is it?"

"You're too smart for your own good," he replied, chuckling. "But yeah, you're right."

"What is it?"

His green eyes lost focus for a second before they locked on her. "Even if you can't promise me it'll be okay...you can promise me something else."

She frowned. "What?"

"Promise you'll always stay with me."

Marinette blinked and stepped back, not having expected that question at all. Had he asked her this a month ago, she would've been so overjoyed she'd start jumping for the stars, but now...now it just worried her. "Adrien-"

"Blanc lost Fortune today," he explained, looking pained. "I...I can't imagine how he felt and...and I don't want that to happen to you." He admitted, face flushed.

Her blue eyes softened and she nodded, smiling. "Okay, I promise," she agreed. "Only if you promise to do the same."

His response was almost immediately. "I promise."

Marinette hesitated at first, but decided to do it anyway before her sudden confidence burst disappeared. She pulled him closer and leaned on her toes, placing a soft kiss on his forehead. "Sleep tight, Adrien." She breathed, pulling away.

He blinked, smiling when he saw her flushed face and feeling his own face heat up a little. "Sleep tight, Marinette," he answered, walking out the door.

Tikki flew up next to her, a smirk on her face. "You're making progress," she sang.

Marinette's face flushed even more. "Shut up."

Tikki smiled, using her powers to flick off the light.

* * *

 _ **I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST KILLED HER**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**So...this story is ending soon...but don't worry! I got a little surprise coming for you guys! ^_^**_

 ** _Also, I noticed I made a small...error last chapter. Marinette didn't have any reaction to hearing from Nino that Alya got killed, HER BEST FRIEND! It bothered me a lot when I was reading it, so I fixed it this chapter._**

* * *

When Blanc woke up that morning, he wasn't surprised to see his father's rotting body had disappeared. Apparently, Ladybug's power was strong enough to dispose of corpses. He didn't care anyway, the further away he was from that... _creature_ that dared to call himself _human,_ the better.

He didn't know why he asked Ladybug to wait until twelve, maybe it was so he had more...ah...'alone time' with his father, or maybe it was because of irony. He remembered when he was younger, how Gabriel had trapped him and his mother in the same dark and cold room he had trapped Volpina and Chat. The man had tortured his wife for hours straight, which felt like eternity, and he had forced poor five year old Adrien to watch. His mother sat through it all, all the pain and abuse, just so her precious little boy could be safe. Until it all stopped, at exactly twelve AM, not a minute less, not a minute earlier, it just stopped. That's when he killed her.

Gabriel didn't seem to care at all, which just made it ten times worse. When his son had looked into the man's eyes, he hadn't found a single ounce of regret. Just pure hatred, the only emotion present.

From that day on, Blanc had _despised_ his father, his hatred growing stronger with each hit he received. Miss Fortune was the only thing holding him back, keeping him _sane._ But now she was gone too...he had no boundaries left.

He lifted his hand slowly, carefully inspecting the dried blood staining his claws, he was almost in a trance as he watched the contrast the red liquid made against the white of his suit. He only snapped out of it when he heard the door from downstairs being opened, followed by Nathalie calling for him and her heels clicking against the ground. He could also hear Gorilla's heavy footsteps on the stairs and Blanc scoffed. Bubbler's powers had apparently been called off, the adults were set free. He got up and jumped out of the window, not intending to be followed...or found.

* * *

 _"Chloé!_ You aren't really making this any easier!" Volpina scolded lightly, her arms crossed as she glared at her friend. Right now, the blonde had tears streaming down her face and was hugging Marinette and Adrien close to her, nearly squeezing the life out of them while she was at it.

"I-I'm sorry!" She squeaked, pulling away and wiping her tears with her sleeve. "It's just-"

Adrien smiled kindly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We get it, we'll miss you too," he assured.

Marinette hugged the girl one last time. "Believe me, our world's Chloé isn't really kind. You're amazing compared to her."

"Stop the dramatics, you won't have to miss each other," Nadie cut in, wrapping herself around Volpina's neck as if she was a fox themed scarf. She ignored the dismayed groan Plagg let out the moment he saw her, smirking when Tikki slapped him lightly and Lizzie giggled. The fox Kwami locked eyes with Marinette and Adrien. "Your Miraculouses are connected with Chloé's and Volpina's now, you'll be able to contact each other," she explained, feeling Volpina's accusing gaze on her. "What is it?"

"You've been keeping a lot from me, haven't you, Nadie?"

She smirked. "Can't a fox have some fun once in a while?"

Nino had already left that morning, still not feeling very comfortable with being around Adrien and Marinette, despite knowing they were _very_ different from the ones he knew. Nobody could blame him though, they had done a lot of horrible things, not to mention they killed Alya.

Marinette flinched, she knew Alya wasn't her friend in this universe, her best friend was purely Lady WiFi; but that didn't mean the thought of her getting... _killed_ hurt any less.

One of the doors opened and Manon stepped out, tiredly rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "...Mari?" She muttered softly, followed by a yawn, her voice still full of sleep.

Marinette smiled and walked towards the child, crouching down and affectionately running a hand through her hair. "Ready to go home?" She asked, voice gentle and kind.

Manon nodded, sleepily stepping forward and wrapping her tiny arms around the teen.

Adrien smiled as he watched them, coolly leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. That girl...she was simply _amazing._ She was shy but confident at the same time. She was sweet, loving, selfless, daring...just amazing. She could also take a great responsibility on herself in a second, like being Ladybug and protecting Paris or taking care of a child.

"Ease up on the heart eyes, _gatto,_ you're not being very subtle." Volpina muttered from beside him, smirking.

The green eyed boy jumped, losing his cool for a split second. His face flushed a little and he rubbed the back of his neck, not bothering to ask what she just called him. Knowing her, she probably called him a cat in Italian. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

The Italian girl raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

He shook his head, face still tinted a light pink.

Volpina's dark eyes scanned his face for a couple of seconds, making him shift uncomfortably in place. Her lips twitched up and she shook her head in mock disappointment. "You're a horrible liar, Adrien. There's nothing but pure adoration in your eyes every time you look at her, be it you looking at Marinette or Chat looking at Ladybug; you suck at hiding your love for her."

"Who says I'm trying to hide it?" He countered, the redness on his face darkening as he nervously glanced at Marinette to make sure she hadn't heard.

"You are," she insisted, moving to stand next to him and mimicking him by leaning against the wall. "You keep flirting with her as Chat, but you're still hiding your real love for her," she deduced, making him freeze. Damn it, she was spot on. Volpina shot him a gentle smile, surprising him, the brunette wouldn't easily be described as _gentle._

Her eyes locked on him for a moment before focusing in front of her. "Believe me, I'd know," she added softly, a sigh escaping her lips. Adrien frowned and followed her gaze, smirking when it landed on Chloé.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me at all," he teased.

She scoffed. "Of course it doesn't, you may be an idiot, but you're not _that_ stupid."

He rolled his eyes.

"But in all seriousness," Volpina kicked her foot lightly against the wall, making her shoot forwards slightly so she could turn to stand in front of him. Her eyes were still gentle (which he still found strange) but there was a firm look hidden in them. "Foxes may be related to dogs, but they still have some cat characteristics," she stated, confusing him even more. "So, from feline to feline, here's some advice. Make your move already."

Adrien was sure he couldn't get any redder when she made the comment on him 'hiding his love', well, she just proved him wrong. "W-what?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know if you're the type to just kiss her and get it over with, depends who I'm talking to, Chat or Adrien?" She paused for a second before shaking her head. "Doesn't matter, the point is, don't make her wait too long. She obviously likes you." Volpina glanced behind her for a split second, smiling softly when her eyes locked on Chloé running around the room as she tried to pick a cute outfit for Manon, Lizzie following right behind her.

Adrien's eyes softened and he smiled back. "While we're on the topic, from feline to feline, talk to Chloé."

Volpina jumped, surprised by his words and her attention snapped back to him almost instantly. Her dark eyes were wide and doubtful, her caramel cheeks reddening a bit. "I'm pretty sure she only swings one way, _gatto."_

He shrugged. "Maybe, but it can't hurt to try. I know for a fact that she won't start acting weird around you if that's not the case," his green eyes flashed and he grinned. Volpina wasn't really sure if she should trust that grin or not.

"Come on, you have to be _feline_ a little _lucky."_

The girl rolled her eyes; apparently, she shouldn't trust that grin. Lesson learned. "Really, Adrien? Two in a row?"

"That isn't even the worst he can do," Marinette cut in, startling both heroes and making her smile.

"M-Marinette! How l-long have you been standing t-there?" Adrien stammered, his face completely red.

She frowned, shooting a confused look at a smirking Volpina. "Long enough to hear about Volpina's crush, why are you blushing?"

Volpina crossed her arms. "Yeah, Adrien, I want to know too, why _are_ you blushing?" She said, her voice taking a teasing tone. Her grin widened when he glared daggers at her and she was sure he would use his Cataclysm on her if it was possible, she winked at him before turning to face a still confused Marinette. "I was just seeing how much it took to get this sly kitty to break," she lied smoothly, surprising even Adrien.

"Oh," Marinette blinked. "It's a good thing to see that even the most flirty cats can feel embarrassed," she smiled.

Adrien coughed awkwardly, which both girls ignored.

"So, Chloé?" Marinette tilted her head, blue eyes shining.

"Yeah," Volpina's eyes flickered to the blonde boy to see his reaction, smirking when his gaze was fully locked on Marinette with that same adoration in his eyes. She just _knew_ he'd have that look, because damn it, the black haired girl looked _adorable_ when she did that. "I'm actually surprised he noticed it before you did," she said, pointing a thumb at Adrien and discreetly stepping on his foot so he snapped out of it before Marinette could see his love struck gaze.

Adrien flinched, but made a mental note to thank Volpina later.

Marinette shot Volpina a kind smile. "Go for it," was all she said before turning and heading back towards Manon.

"I'm _impurressed,_ didn't think you were such a great liar." Adrien teased.

Volpina rolled her eyes. "I'm not a great liar, you're just a terrible one."

He rolled his eyes, she was really on a roll with her insults, wasn't she? "Let's make a deal."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. "Shoot."

"I'll act on my feeling for Marinette...if you do the same for Chloé," he proposed.

She tensed, and Adrien was sure that if she was in costume, her ears would have perked up. Her dark eyes flickered from left to right for a few seconds, clearly thinking about her options, before she nodded and held her hand out. "Deal. Don't disappoint me, _gatto."_

He shook her hand. "Wouldn't dream of it, _foxy."_

The Italian girl winked at him before turning. "Are you even sure that the adults are back by now?"

Both Chloé and Marinette froze, before either could react though, the doors burst open and a large, kinda fat man with graying hair walked in.

"Daddy!" Chloé squealed, rushing forward to hug the mayor.

"Well, there's your answer," Marinette mused.

Volpina blinked. "That timing was just a little too perfect."

* * *

Ladybug landed on a roof, Manon still in her arms. She jumped down and placed the child in front of a certain house, straightening up and freezing when she felt tiny hands tugging on the material of her suit.

"Mari...will I see you again?" Manon whispered quietly, tears filling her eyes.

"Oh, Manon, please don't cry!" She crouched back down, pulling the girl closer and hugging her tightly. _"Please_ don't cry, I can't handle it if you cry!" Her voice cracked a bit at the end.

Manon's hands curled into fists around the fabric of the suit. "I'll miss you," she sobbed softly.

"I'll miss you too," Ladybug admitted, her heart shattering piece by piece the longer she stayed there and had to hear the child's cries. "But think on the bright side!" She said, forcing her voice to sound cheerful and optimistic, despite the tears in her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall though...at least not yet. "You'll see your _maman_ again, won't you?"

Manon sniffed and nodded. "Yeah."

"Good," Ladybug pulled away and gently wiped the tears from the child's face. "Just focus on that and everything will be alright. Even if you won't see me and Chat anymore, Volpina and Chloé will always be around!"

"B-but they're not you..."

Ladybug sighed and stood up, hoping that Tikki would understand what she needed when she called; "Lucky Charm!"

She smiled when a ladybug plushie landed in her hands and she handed it to Manon. "If you ever miss me, just hug it close to you. It'll help Chloé and Volpina with protecting you," she promised, looking away when Manon smiled sadly. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry._

"Time to go home, your mother's probably worried sick," Ladybug said, hugging Manon one last time before ringing the doorbell and swinging her yo-yo, disappearing into the sky. She landed on a roof, where the others were waiting and she watched as the door opened and Manon's mother nearly lunged for her child, tears streaming down the woman's face as she hugged the girl close to her. The woman asked multiple questions, but Manon just held her new plushie in the air and pointed to the roof behind her.

Manon's mother looked up, frowning when she saw nothing. She urged her daughter inside and paused when she was about to close the door. "Whoever you are, thank you," she called, before shutting the door.

All four heroes got out of there hiding places and Ladybug finally allowed the tears to roll freely down her face. Chat placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, surprised when she turned and buried her face in his chest. Despite that, he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and rub her back softly, whispering calming words in her ear and ignoring the smug look Volpina shot him.

"We'll protect her," Queen B promised gently.

"You know we will," Volpina added.

Ladybug pulled away from Chat and wiped her tears. "I know."

When she got back to her own world, she would make sure to spend more time with Manon.

* * *

"Well, goodbye, then."

"I think we've had enough sad goodbyes for today," Volpina cut in, although she did quickly hug Adrien and Marinette, making them and Chloé chuckle.

Tikki, Lizzie and even Plagg had managed to convince Nadie that she needed help with bringing the teens back to their world; they outright _refused_ to let her do it alone like she did last time. So now, the heroes said their final goodbyes as the four Kwami's charged up.

"Call us when you get back, call us when you patrol, call us when you have trouble with Hawk Moth...just...just _call us,_ okay?" Chloé rambled, fighting to not break down...again.

Marinette smiled. "We will."

"After we deal with all the problem our disappearance caused," Adrien muttered. "I'm pretty sure most of our friends and family figured it out by now."

Tikki and Nadie shot each other a knowing look. "Just watch."

After everyone had said goodbye and after promising Chloé for the fifteenth time that, yes, they'd call. A flash of bright light filled the room before Adrien, Marinette, Tikki and Plagg disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

_**That moment when you watch four Animes in not even one week...**_

 _ **And damn it, you guys are way too smart! Some of you already guessed what was going to happen in this chapter.**_

* * *

Marinette hadn't took note of the unexpected landing and stumbled when her feet hit the ground, luckily for her, Adrien was there to catch her. She ignored the way her face lit up furiously and hastily pulled away from him; focusing on brushing off her clothes and scanning her surroundings.

They were in Paris, at night, but were they _really_ in Paris?

"We're right behind the school," the boy mumbled, frowning.

Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse and smiled. "Just go home and get some sleep."

Marinette frowned. "Tikki, we can't just do that! What about Hawk Moth? Not to mention that Adrien and I have probably been reported missing and that some people might have figured out who we are!"

The Kwami rolled her eyes. "Marinette, just do it," she smiled. "No need to worry."

Plagg flew out of Adrien's jacket and yawned, lazily stretching his tiny arms and legs. "Never thought I'd say this, but trust her," he grinned when Tikki glared at him, his cat eyes shining in the moonlight. Sure, Tikki annoyed him, but he had to admit; it was fun to irritate her.

Eh, at least she wasn't as bad as Nadie.

After a moment of hesitation, the two teens transformed and went their separate ways. It was clear Marinette wasn't really sure about leaving her partner alone with his father after everything that happened, but she didn't really have a choice, did she? Besides, he wouldn't let her worry about him, that cheeky grin of his was proof enough.

The girl snuck into her bedroom through the window and transformed, quietly making her way to her parents' room and feeling surprised when she found them sleeping soundly with peaceful smiles on their faces. Marinette silently closed the door and went back to her room, she turned on her computer and took a seat in her chair; blushing when her Adrien screensaver popped up on the screen. She'd need to change that sometime soon...and remove all the pictures. If Chat ever snuck in...she'd be done for.

She opened up the Ladyblog and logged on with Alya's username and password, her best friend was the creator of the blog, which meant there would be more information saved on her account until she decided to publish it.

Marinette quickly scrolled through all the articles and videos, being careful not to touch anything so Alya wouldn't notice. She found pages on Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting against Antibug, defeating the Mime and Horrificator; all articles on things that had happened in the past. The blue eyed girl suddenly got a cold feeling and decided to check the date.

24-2-16

The exact same date they disappeared.

"...T-Tikki?"

Right on cue, the red Kwami appeared in front of her, taking a seat on the desk and smiling softly. "You figured it out?"

She didn't know why, but she wasn't feeling very well. Her hands were shaking and her head was _killing_ her. "T-time...s-stopped?"

Tikki's smile faded and she flew up until she was at eye-level with the girl. "Yes...Marinette, are you okay?"

Her eyelids drooped and she got out of the chair. "I...need to lay down..."

"Marinette!" Tikki didn't know how, but she managed to keep the girl upright when she stumbled, the Kwami pushed all of her strength into it, glad that being the ladybug Kwami gave her enhanced strength or else Marinette would've been on the ground by now. She carefully brought the teen to her bed and made sure she didn't fall asleep...or faint. "Marinette! Keep your eyes open! Your body's shutting down!"

It was the only explanation for this. All of this, everything that had happened, it was becoming too much for her too handle. Tikki had always thought it was a bit suspicious that Marinette could deal so well with nearly getting killed, finding out Chat's identity, ending up in a different dimension, finding Manon's half-dead body, fighting against herself, nearly getting killed _again,_ finding out that Gabriel Agreste was Hawk Moth. Tikki had just brushed it off as one of Marinette's _many_ great characteristics, but apparently returning to her own world and finding out that time had stopped was the last straw.

Tikki knew she couldn't do much in this situation, so she made a reckless decision and knocked over a lamp. The glass shattered loudly and it didn't take long before she could hear the footsteps of Marinette's parents heading their way; so she quickly hid behind a pillow and watched.

Tom and Sabine were confused when they found their daughter sitting on her bed, her body shaking and dull eyes focused on the wall. They immediately headed towards her, ignoring the shattered glass spread all over the ground.

Tikki let out a breath and smiled, with those two as her parents, she knew that Marinette would be alright. She just hoped Plagg would find a way to keep Adrien sane, his mind was probably a lot more fragile than Marinette's at the moment.

* * *

Turns out that Plagg _did_ find a way to keep him sane...although the blond boy may hate him for the couple of days that followed.

Adrien covered his mouth with his hand and yawned as he entered the classroom, waving tiredly at Nino and Alya.

"You okay, man?" The dark eyed boy asked, not sure if he should be worried or amused...or both.

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just..." he yawned again. "Just a bit tired, that's all."

Plagg had kept him awake the whole night. He had kept talking and whining about cheese, especially when Adrien decided to check the date and time. The black cat Kwami had spent the whole time talking at a speed that rivaled Lizzie's, hell, he might as well have been one of Adrien's private tutors! Because right now, the boy could name every type of cheese and could recite the _entire_ history of Camembert by heart.

Nino nodded, although he still wasn't sure if he should believe his best friend or not. He turned to face Alya and was about to say something but stopped when he saw the frown on her face and her frantically pressing buttons on her phone. "What's wrong?"

She jumped, her golden eyes a bit unfocused at first before they cleared up and locked on Nino. "It's Marinette, I can't reach her," her eyes went to the clock. "And it's way past the time she usually gets here, including the times that she's late."

"Heard anything from the teachers?"

"No, that's just it. They asked _me_ where she was."

Adrien's blood ran cold, multiple scenarios flashing through his head. None of them were pleasant. It wasn't like Marinette to just disappear without at least telling Alya. All he could think of at the moment was someone from their 'mirror world' having followed them and attacking Marinette. The boy was aware of his friends calling his name, he probably looked deadly pale to them. But he just ignored them and raised his hand, running out of the classroom when the teacher gave him permission to go to the bathroom.

It didn't take long before Chat was sitting on a building across the bakery. He pulled out his staff and tilted it in the sunlight so the ray of light would hit the window and hopefully catch her attention...if she was there.

His heart slowed down to its normal pace and he let out a sigh of relief when the balcony doors opened and she stepped out, covering her eyes with her hands. The masked hero pulled his weapon back so he wouldn't end up accidentally blinding her and waved a bit awkwardly. He could see her look around in confusion before her eyes locked on him and she rolled her eyes, stepping inside her room and motioning for him to follow her. He was quick to jump into the balcony and enter the room.

"You had me worried, you know," Chat blurted, shutting the doors behind him.

She froze in place, her back still facing him. "I just missed a day, Kitty, that's hardly something to worry about."

"Alya seemed to think it was."

Marinette cursed and grabbed her phone, paling when she scrolled through the dozens of messages Alya had send her. She quickly send a text back before sitting down on her bed and sighing.

Chat frowned and crossed his arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shrugged. "Just the slight possibility that Alya might kill me for making her worry."

He chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that, how come you weren't at school?"

His eyes narrowed when he saw her tense and she started playing with her thumbs. She was biting her lip, clearly debating if she should tell him or not before she sighed and finally gave in. "I...may have had a minor panic attack..."

"What?" In a second, he was in front of her, crouching down so they were at eye-level. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Marinette coughed a bit awkwardly in her hand, just _knowing_ that her face was redder than her mother's red velvet cakes at the moment. From the looks of it, he was too worried to notice.

"Everything just caught up to me, I guess..." she shrugged. "My parents forgot to call school though, I just reminded them, which is probably why no one knew the reason for my absence."

Chat nodded, shifting his position so he was sitting on the ground instead of crouching. He placed his hands underneath his chin and stared up at her, his head tilted and a thoughtful look crossing his face.

The girl was sure that her face was even redder than before. "What?"

"You really had me worried, you know," he admitted, his voice soft. "I ditched class because I thought you were in trouble, my father isn't going to be happy but I didn't really care about that at the moment."

She glared at him, trying her best to ignore the warm feeling she got. "That was stupid, you can't just-" she froze when he reached out with one of his clawed hands and grabbed hers.

"Do me a favor," he muttered, eyes focused on her soft hands as he ran his thumb across the skin. "Don't ever scare me like that again." His voice was low and a bit pained, just from his tone she could hear how worried he had been. She could understand where he was coming from, he had already watched her almost die twice, he didn't want there to be a third time. Who knows, maybe that time it would be permanent.

Her blue eyes softened when she looked at him, his eyes were still focused on their hands. He looked so...vulnerable at the moment, but at the same time so _calm_ and at peace. She didn't know why she was doing it, maybe she had lost her common sense, or maybe travelling through dimensions had messed with her brain. Whatever it was, she didn't care. She simply reached out and ran her hand through his hair before gently sliding it down to his cheek, instantly getting his attention.

"Only if you promise to do the same," she countered, smiling.

He blushed, but still managed to get his trademark smirk on his face. "Is My Lady trying to bargain with _moi?"_

Marinette nodded, playing along. "She is."

Chat grinned. "Well, then I have no choice but to agree, don't I?"

She rolled her eyes and tugged on the hand he was holding. "Get up, you silly cat."

"As you wish," he let go of her hand and got up off the ground, coincidentally spotting her wall covered in pictures and magazine clippings. His eyes flashed and he grinned. "And what might this be, Princess?"

Marinette froze.

He walked towards the wall, his grin widening the longer he scanned all the pictures with his eyes. He glanced at her, the smirk seemingly permanent on his face. "And here I thought you hated me."

"S-shut up!" She stuttered, grabbing a pillow and hiding her face in it. At the moment she really wished Hawk Moth had just finished the job. She could hear his footsteps come closer and she responded by pressing her face closer to the pillow; nearly suffocating herself in her attempt to hide. "You didn't see that!" She squeaked, her voice muffled.

Chat smiled softly, not able to get over the fact that she actually had liked him for a while now; not to mention how cute she looked at the moment. "Mari-"

"Please leave me alone to suffer," she mumbled into her pillow. Damn it, why didn't she go to school that day? Alya warned her that those pictures were going to get her in trouble one day.

The hero's staff beeped and he frowned, extending the weapon and pressing the neon green paw flashing on the handle. A small screen popped out and he tapped the message icon, freezing when he saw a picture of a smiling Volpina with her arm around Chloé, who was blushing furiously. Underneath the picture was written _I kept my promise, Kitty, now it's your turn._

"How did she even..." he muttered, trailing off.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just Volpina," he retracted his weapon and tucked it away before gently pulling the pillow from Marinette. He chuckled when she responded by covering her face with her hands but he just gently pried them away; forcing her to look at him.

Her entire face was red and she _refused_ to look at him, her blue eyes focusing on her room instead of him. She tensed when she felt one of his hands on her cheek and her eyes snapped towards him.

He was staring at her, clearly debating if he should do something or not. Finally, he made a decision and his green eyes cleared up. Marinette yelped and her eyes widened when he leaned forward and softly pressed his lips on hers, she was so shocked, she didn't even respond. She just sat there, completely frozen.

Finally, Chat pulled away and smiled sheepishly, his face nearly as red as hers. He rubbed the back of his neck and stepped back, glancing at the clock. "Maybe I should go, I've been gone for way too long already."

She blinked, but nodded slowly, still in shock.

He leaned forward again, tilting her chin up and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I hope you feel better tomorrow," he whispered, before turning and jumping out the window.

"Tikki..." Marinette muttered, still frozen in place.

The red Kwami flew out of her hiding spot and giggled. "Yes?"

"...He just kissed me..."

Tikki giggled again. And Plagg thought he wouldn't have the courage.


	13. Chapter 13

_**DOUBLE UPDATE! *cough* and the last one *cough***_

* * *

On her way to school, Marinette accidentally bumped in to Chloé. Before she could apologize, the blonde had already gotten up and was glaring daggers at her. "Ugh, can you _watch_ where you're going?!" Her eyes narrowed when she realized who was standing in front of her. "Oh, Marinette, you're back? Such a pity," she strutted off without waiting for a reply, Sabrina following after her.

An arm snaked its way around her shoulders. "It's weird huh? Seeing Chloé act like...well, _Chloé."_ Adrien commented.

Marinette jumped and quickly pulled away from him. "Are you _crazy?"_ She hissed, her face flushed. "What if people saw us? Don't you think it'd be a little strange if we suddenly act like a couple?!"

He raised an eyebrow and placed his hands in his pockets. "So we're a couple?"

Her face started turning even redder. "I...uh..." Damn it, he really had a habit of making her blush these days!

Adrien chuckled and took a small step back. "There, now both of us are in our personal space and we can have a conversation without people asking questions," he grinned, a playful glint in his eyes; along with an edge in his tone. He was enjoying this. "So, as I was saying, you need to get used to her all over again."

Marinette sighed and nodded. "I was _this_ close to starting a conversation with her, but then I remembered and, well, just no."

He nodded, clearly holding back his laugh.

She frowned and crossed her arms. "What about you? You're talking like I'm the only one who needs to get used to her again."

"Maybe because you are?" He shrugged. "I've known her since we were kids, which means I've seen her go from sweet and kind to...well, _this._ It's nothing new," his green eyes followed the mayor's daughter as he talked, his expression a bit sad as he sighed. "It's really messed up, she really was my only friend growing up...but then she turned into a spoiled brat and it just went downhill from there."

Marinette smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, at least you got to see her the way she was in the other world's Chloé."

He chuckled. "Maybe not as bubbly though."

The bell rang and the boy smiled. "We should probably get to class."

"...Yeah."

* * *

"Marinette? Are you okay?" Alya whispered, frowning when she didn't get a response. She waved her hand in front of her best friend's face. "Hello...? Marinette...?"

The girl in question blinked and looked up. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Alya scoffed and crossed her arms. "I could be asking you the same thing, you've been staring at _Chloé_ the whole time!"

"I have?"

Adrien paused and placed his pen down, silently listening in to the girls' conversation. His assignment could wait, he'd be able to finish it in ten minutes tops anyway. It was Physics, nothing to worry about.

"You haven't taken your eyes off her the moment you walked in," Alya deadpanned, frowning. "Seriously, what's up?"

"N-no reason," she lied.

The reddish brown haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Marinette, it can't be _nothing._ This is Chloé we're talking about!"

"I-"

Adrien acted quickly and discreetly kicked his bag, making a mental note to apologize to Plagg later. The bag slid back and hit Marinette's, making both of them fall, and since Marinette's was open; the contents fell out. "I'm sorry!" He apologized and crouched down to help her pick up everything the same moment she did; giving her a perfect excuse to not answer Alya's question.

After they put everything back in, Adrien zipped her backpack close and handed it to her, shooting her a wink that Alya would _definitely_ see before taking his place back in his seat. He smirked when he heard the future journalist ramble on and on to her best friend about that small action. He heard Marinette mumble a hushed 'thank you' underneath her breath and he nodded in response.

* * *

"How come you managed to hide your identity from me for two years straight but can't even think of a quick lie for Alya?"

"Well, Alya's well on her way to becoming a journalist; you aren't. See why it's harder to lie to her?" She answered smoothly, never taking her eyes off her sketchbook.

They were in front of the Eiffel Tower; at Marinette's favorite spot whenever she needed inspiration. She was completely engrossed in her work, while he just sat next to her, content with simply watching her.

His eyes locked on a nearby poster with his face on it, his expression darkening when he saw the _**Gabriel's**_ logo in big cursive letters all over the poster. His jaw clenched and he glanced at Marinette. "Hey, Princess?"

"Mhmm?"

His green eyes went back to the poster for a second before focusing on her. She looked so peaceful and happy while drawing one of her designs, he didn't want to dampen her mood by bringing up the topic of his father. It could wait. "Nothing, never mind."

Her hand stilled and the pencil stopped moving on the paper when she heard his tone, Marinette looked up and frowned. "Are you sure?"

Adrien smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Marinette frowned but kept drawing, her gut telling her she knew what was bothering him.

* * *

After having paced his room for _hours_ _,_ Adrien had finally decided to transform and visit his Princess (Lady...?) They had been avoiding the issue for long enough and they _really_ needed to talk.

But the moment Chat slipped into her room through the open window and found her asleep on her desk...he couldn't do it. She was _exhausted_ _,_ all the stuff with shifting between dimensions and defeating their counterparts being too much for her; not to mention the Akuma attack they had that night. He had managed to get some sleep, from the looks of it, she hadn't. And from the way Tikki was glaring at the sleeping girl, he assumed he was right.

So instead of waking her to talk it out, Chat gently lifted her from her desk chair and cradled her in his arms; making sure she stayed asleep. He tried to ignore the screensaver of him on her desktop, but he couldn't help the smirk on his face. Had she been awake, he would've teased her _mercilessly._ But then again, maybe she had suffered enough when he found the pictures; she had taken them down, but maybe she forgot to change the screensaver. He carried her towards her bed and tucked her in, smiling when she let out a soft whine in her sleep at the loss of contact.

Tikki flew next to him and sighed. "She really should stop overworking herself."

"Definitely," he shrugged. "But she wouldn't be Marinette if she didn't, it's part of her personality."

"I'll tell her you've been here."

He shook his head, grinning cheekily. "No, don't. Let's see if she can figure it out," he was actually hoping she didn't. It would save him from the awkward 'why were you in my room' talk.

Chat said a quick goodbye to the red ladybug Kwami before leaving the building just as swiftly as he entered it.

The minute he left, Marinette's eyes opened and she sighed, her face a bit flushed.

She tiredly rubbed her eyes and grabbed her phone, rolling her eyes when Tikki glared at her. "Don't worry, Tikki, I'll sleep!" She assured the Kwami. "I'm just sending a quick text, that's all."

She quickly typed in the four words before locking her phone and placing it on the bedside table.

 _I'll be there tomorrow._

* * *

Ladybug hung upside down from the building, knocking on the window twice and gracefully slipping in once he opened the window. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked, biting her lip. There was a worried look in her blue eyes, she just _knew_ he'd end up hurting himself.

Adrien sighed. "I have too, you know that."

"It was another dimension, maybe here he isn't-"

"And what if he is?" He countered. "We need to figure it out, if not for me, then for Paris. It's still our job to keep the city safe."

Ladybug blinked, _never_ had she expected for him to be serious instead of her. Their roles had been reversed. "Okay," she nodded. "Just...just be careful, okay?"

He winked. "Always, my Lady."

As he turned and walked out of his room, she smiled; happy to see her Kitty in him, even if it was for just a moment. If he could act like Chat it meant that he wasn't completely lost...she hoped.

They walked through the mansion and to Gabriel's office, the blond boy placed a hand on the doorknob, hesitating for a second.

"Adrien-"

He pushed the door open.

The office was empty, Gabriel was attending a fashion show and Adrien was (for once) allowed to stay at home. Nathalie wasn't in the mansion either, she had gone to the fashion show with him; which worked out perfectly for the blond boy. No one was there to see him and Ladybug snooping around.

They walked in and Adrien immediately made his way towards the desk. Both heroes scanned through all the papers quickly, only finding designs and some information on the company. The boy took a small silver key from his pocket and winked at Ladybug. "He always keeps his drawers locked, so I got a spare," he explained, quickly unlocking all the drawers.

Ladybug looked around the room as he searched, looking for anything unusual. She checked each and every corner of the room, stopping when Adrien's breath hitched. "Did you find something?" She asked, her back facing him and her eyes locked on a painting.

No response.

She turned around, frowning. A worried look crossed her face once she saw his expression.

He stood at the desk, frozen and staring in disbelief at something. His hands were shaking and he gripped the edges of the desk so hard his knuckles turned white. His green eyes were starting to fill with tears that she _knew_ he wouldn't let fall until he was alone. Ladybug could also see rage in his eyes, along with betrayal.

"Adrien?" She walked towards him, her voice soft and comforting. He kept his eyes on the desk, letting go with one hand to grab the object and hand it to her.

Ladybug tensed as she looked at the Hawk Moth mask, she ran her fingers over it and bit her lip, glancing at the boy. She dropped the mask on the desk. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," he avoided, running a hand through his hair and sighing. "I hoped I was wrong, but it explains why he's never around." He wiped at his eyes with his hands and Ladybug felt a pang in her chest, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer; not surprised when he immediately hugged her back.

Adrien tightened his grip on her and buried his face in her neck, breathing softly through his nose. Ever since Hawk Moth was revealed to be his dad, he had always known it was a possibility in their world too. He just didn't want to accept it. But now, after this, he would have to. Ladybug gently ran a hand through his hair and he couldn't help but smile. At least he knew Marinette would always be by his side, if he was Chat or just himself, it didn't matter to her. She'd be there for him, and that made him feel a little better.

He knew what he needed to do, but that didn't mean he was excited about it.

Ladybug placed a kiss on his forehead and pulled away. "Come on, we should get out of here," she grabbed his hand and he didn't protest as she dragged him back to his room.

"It's him, isn't it?" Plagg asked the moment they entered the room.

Adrien nodded, his once vibrant green eyes looking dull and distant. Gabriel Agreste, _his_ _father_ _,_ was Hawk Moth. He was the man that had ruined thousands of people's lives, the man that had used peoples' sorrow and sadness to his advantage, the man that had created so many villains out of innocent people. He was the man that had nearly destroyed Paris in Volpina's world, the man that had tried to kill him and his Lady.

Marinette transformed back to normal, shooting a worried glance at Tikki before focusing on Adrien. She grabbed his hand and gently lead him to the bed, laying down, and cuddling up close to him. "It'll be okay, Kitty." She promised softly, although she wasn't so sure of her words. Marinette was normally a _very_ optimistic girl, sometimes so optimistic that Alya had to wonder if she lived in her own separate world. But now even _she_ didn't know what to do.

Adrien shot her a weak smile and nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her even closer. They just lay like that for what felt like hours, and somewhere Adrien had fallen asleep.

Marinette looked up at him, a soft look in her eyes as she watched him sleep peacefully. He looked so much calmer now, and she wasn't about to disturb that, so she needed to be gentle. The girl carefully removed his arm from her waist and crawled out of the bed, motioning for Tikki and Plagg to stay silent as she walked out of the room and into the office, the two Kwami's following her.

"What are you doing?" Tikki whispered as the girl did a more thorough search of the room.

"Getting more evidence," she replied curtly. "Adrien's going to do it himself if I don't, and he needs to rest. He's just going to work himself up," if she managed to find something, she'd place it on the desk and keep going. With the help from the two Kwami's it went a lot easier and faster, they were able to unlock doors or drawers which she didn't have the key for.

Plagg looked out of the window, it was already starting to get dark. "Gabriel's gonna be back soon, Marinette. You gotta hurry!"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think we've got enough, let's go."

The blue eyed girl locked all of the desk drawers with Adrien's key while Tikki and Plagg locked the other doors and drawers with their powers. When Marinette left the room, it was as if no one entered it.

She made her way back to Adrien's room, where he was still sleeping peacefully. Plagg motioned for her to drop everything she had found in an empty box next to Adrien's computer and she sighed as she took place on the computer chair.

Tikki landed on top of her head. "Rough night, huh?"

She scoffed. "That's an understatement," Adrien moved in his sleep and she froze, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Alternate dimensions, secret identities, this is _crazy_ _!"_

"All in a day's work," Plagg commented.

Tikki giggled softly and winked at the girl. "I never said being Ladybug was going to be easy."

Marinette smiled. "I never expected it to be."

She froze as she could hear a door slamming shut from downstairs, Gabriel and Nathalie had returned.

"If you're planning on staying, you should hide," Plagg whispered. "Nathalie always checks on him at night."

"No problem, Tikki, spots on."

Not even a second later, Ladybug had jumped out of the window and climbed onto the roof. She waited patiently until Plagg gave the okay before slipping back in and transforming. It was a good thing her parents weren't home for the weekend, they wouldn't notice her not being home for a day.

* * *

 _"_ _Breaking_ _news_ _!_ _Paris'_ _main_ _villain_ _Papillon_ _or_ _, '_ _Hawk_ _Moth'_ _has_ _been_ _revealed_ _to_ _be **Gabriel's**_ _very_ _own_ _Gabriel_ _Agreste_ _!_ _Ladybug_ _and_ _Chat_ _Noir_ _showed_ _up_ _at_ _the_ _police_ _department_ _this_ _morning_ _with_ _compelling_ _evidence_ _against_ _the_ _fashion_ _designer_ _._ _After_ _some_ _interrogation_ _the_ _man_ _actually_ _admitted_ _to_ _being_ _the_ _villain_ _._ _He_ _is_ _now_ _under_ _custody until further investigation takes place. His son, Adrien_ _Agreste_ _claimed to have known of nothing and didn't want to talk to anyone other than the police."_

To say Marinette was nervous was an understatement.

She kept shifting in her seat and glancing at the door. School had started an hour ago and Adrien still hadn't showed up, she was starting to get worried. When she had left his house, he seemed to be okay, angry, but okay. And when they went to the police this morning, he seemed to be completely normal. He was flirting with her, making stupid cat puns and that dorky smile of his never left his face. So she figured he was fine. But then again, he was good at faking it once he wore the mask. He'd been doing it since they were fifteen and first became heroes.

"What's up with you, girl?" Alya asked, poking her best friend's side and making her jump.

"N-nothing?"

A knowing look crossed Alya's face. "Worried about _Adrien?"_

"No. I-I mean yes! I mean-" she cut herself off and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. "You saw the news, Alya, _of_ _course_ I'm worried!"

 _"_ _Everyone_ saw the news! The whole class is talking about it!"

Nino turned around in his seat. "It kinda sucks though, I mean, I knew Mr. Agreste wasn't really nice, but for him to be _Hawk_ _Moth_ _?"_ He shook his head. "I just can't believe it."

"People are never who they appear to be behind the mask," Marinette muttered lowly, more to herself than to them. If Nino and Alya had heard her; they didn't show it.

"Poor Adrien, he must be freaking out," Alya sighed.

The doors opened and the boy in question walked in. Immediately, everyone stopped talking, the whole class was dead silent as they followed him with their eyes; watching as he took a seat with his hands in his pocket and eyes focused on the ground. Marinette leaned over- not caring that it was risky -and brushed her hand over his shoulder, he smiled softly.

"How you doing, man?" Nino asked.

Adrien shrugged. "I've been better."

"For what it's worth, I won't be posting anything about this on the Ladyblog," Alya assured.

He smiled. "Thanks, Alya."

"No problem."

Everyone was nearly _bouncing_ to ask questions, they were just waiting for the first one to do it. Sabrina looked about ready to burst, but before she could ask anything, the teacher walked in. And luckily for Adrien, she didn't mention anything about his father.

When the bell rang, he practically bolted out of his seat and out of the classroom. Marinette shot a look at Alya, mentally telling her she wouldn't be sitting with her. The golden eyed girl rolled her eyes, urging her friend to go and follow him.

Marinette found him in front of the school, hiding in a dark corner that wasn't exposed to the sunlight. "Hey."

He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "Hey."

She moved closer to him and was surprised when he hugged her without warning. Her head was on his chest and she wrapped her arms around his middle. "What now?"

He shrugged and leaned his chin on her head. "I'm not eighteen yet, so I have to stay with my relatives, but they live on the other side of France-"

She hastily pulled away from him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're moving?!"

"No," he chuckled and pulled her close again, kissing her forehead before wrapping his arms around her. "My cousin, Félix, he decided to be my legal guardian. He's moving here. He's young, twenty-five, but he's stubborn. The chances that he changes his mind about moving to Paris are _very_ small."

She visibly relaxed and he grinned. "Aw, Princess, were you worried you'd miss me?" He teased.

"Shut up," she muttered, her face red. "Of course I would," she buried her face in his chest so he wouldn't see her blush, but he had already seen it.

Adrien smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You won't get rid of me that easily, I'm always around."

Marinette rolled her eyes, hiding her smile. "How are you planning to avoid everyone?"

"I'm doing it now, aren't I?"

"I found you."

"That's because I _wanted_ you to," he winked. "Cats are sneaky."

"Which is why I'm glad you have a bell," she joked.

The rest of the day went on like that, him avoiding everyone in between classes. And just to make it easier for him, Marinette stuck with Alya and Nino for the day.

He couldn't avoid his classmates circling him and asking questions after school, but after getting some curt answers from him, they got the hint and left him alone.

"Not so sneaky after all, are you?" Marinette teased, walking up to him.

He rolled his eyes, smiling affectionately. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been making jokes the whole day," he grinned.

She smiled. "Someone has to. I just thought I'd take over for the day."

"Good point."

A black car stopped in front of the school and a young man stepped out. He had brushed back blond hair and was wearing black pants with a grey long-sleeved shirt and a tie. He had a serious expression on his face, nearly emotionless. But when he spotted Adrien, his lips quirked up in a smile, just _barely_ _._

Adrien blinked. "He's early."

"He looks like a younger version of your father to be honest," Marinette blurted, flinching and slapping her hands over her mouth when she realized what she just said. Her face had already turned a deep shade of red.

To her surprise, he just chuckled and nodded. "He's cold, but unlike my father, he actually _cares_ about me," there was a smile on his face and Marinette wasn't sure if he was faking it or not. Before she could figure it out though, he had pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers, smirking when she yelped in surprise. After a minute or two, he pulled away. "Gotta go, I'll see you later, my Lady." He winked and walked away, leaving her blushing, dazed and with wide eyes. It didn't help that Alya was cat calling from behind her.

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Félix commented dryly.

Adrien grinned, a dorky look on his face. "I just made it official to the whole school," the stunt he just pulled could end in two ways. 1. Ladybug would beat him up on their next patrol, but it'd be worth it. 2. He hadn't figured that one out yet, his Princess was unpredictable.

Sure, they had become _a_ _lot_ closer after everything that had happened. They touched a lot more, hugs, forehead kisses, the occasional kiss when no one was around, those kind of things. But they had never acknowledged their relationship around others or made a move to make it public. Either way, someone was bound to make the first step, so why not him?

Félix rolled his eyes as they got in the car. "She seems annoying."

Adrien sighed. "Félix-"

"I don't know her yet, but I find her just as annoying as you. A perfect match."

Adrien didn't care that his cousin just insulted him (at least, he thought he did) from his words, he could tell that he liked Marinette. Even if it was only a little bit.

* * *

 _ **Okay, so the story is over; but don't forget that I still have a surprise for you guys next week!**_

 _ **PS: Anyone else love Félix? Hope I did him justice!**_


	14. Bonus

**_A_ _small_ _surprise_ _for_ _you_ _guys_ _,_ _a_ _look_ _in_ _the_ _life_ _of_ _Miss_ _Fortune_ _and_ _Chat_ _Blanc_ _._ _How they_ _met_ _and_ _other_ _little_ _things_ _in_ _their_ _relationship_ _, all set in the past because...well,_ _she's_ _dead..._**

 ** _Shout out to Shonashee, because I really love her reviews and I hope this'll heal your broken heart about Chat Blanc and Miss Fortune!_**

* * *

"Father?"

"What?"

"How come you're letting me go to school?"

Gabriel didn't stop writing, he didn't even look up as he answered, his voice stone cold and void of any emotion. "So you won't be here."

"I-"

"Your mother's dead now, and I can't be bothered with having you around most of the day. Leave."

Adrien clenched his fists, his amber eyes burning with hatred. But still, he kept his mouth shut and nodded. "Yes, father," he turned and walked out of the house, taking his bag with him.

It was safe to say the twelve year old boy _despised_ his father ever since his mother's death- no, ever since her _murder_ _._ He couldn't do anything though, it was still his father, and it was _way_ too dangerous to report the man's crimes. Gabriel had already proven he was capable of killing, and he had nearly killed his son on many occasions. Adrien was sure he'd die if he ever told. So he distanced himself from anyone that even _glanced_ at him. He couldn't risk making friends or getting attached to people, knowing his father; they'd be dead if the blond boy did anything that didn't please the man.

He entered the school building, amber eyes scanning the whole area. The boy was about to sit at the empty desk in the back, but then his eyes caught a strange girl sitting all alone in a corner. She had black hair pulled up in two pigtails, her eyes a deep, terrifying red. There was this...dark aura around her, most people would have ran the moment they saw her, but for some reason...Adrien felt strangely attracted towards her.

He was about to walk towards her, but a hand pulled him back.

"I wouldn't go there," a girl with short orange hair and square glasses hissed quietly. "Everyone should stay away from Marinette. It's a silent rule."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "And you are...?"

"Sabrina," she answered, still a bit shaky. "But believe me. Stay away from her. She's...unstable."

"We'll see," Adrien pulled away from her and continued his way towards the strange girl. Sabrina's words did actually the opposite of what she was intending to do, instead of making him avoid 'Marinette', he just got a lot more...intrigued. His curiosity was going to kill him one of these days, that much was a fact.

He took a seat next to her and she looked up, startled, red eyes meeting with amber ones. The girl tilted her head to the side almost curiously, confusion shining in those blood red orbs of hers. She kept her gaze on him, an impressed smile on her lips when he didn't break her stare, not even for a split second. "You're strange," she blurted suddenly, her voice soft. "Most people would've run for the hills by now."

"Care to explain why?" He countered.

She immediately picked up on the challenge in his voice, her smile widening. "Rumors," she stated, leaning back in her chair and shooting a sadistic smile at the people watching them with incredulous expressions on their faces. She seemed to be delighted by how quickly they turned away. "Although most of them are true."

"How come?"

"In this age, people have learned to fear a lady."

"A lady?" Adrien mused, smirking slightly, this strange girl caught his attention more and more the longer she talked. "A lady would've introduced herself by now, don't you think? It's only the polite thing to do."

She nodded slowly, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "I suppose so," she sat up straight and turned to face him, her tone taking a more playful note as she talked. "Excuse my manners, my name is Marinette."

"Well, _Marinette_ _,"_ he started, eyes locked on her. "Why would people be afraid of such a pretty thing like you? Just because of some rumors?"

"You sure have a lot of questions for someone who hasn't even told me his name."

Adrien's amber eyes twinkled almost dangerously as he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Adrien Agreste, my apologies," he stated, playing along with the little Victorian Era scenario she had set up.

Marinette smiled, not making any move to pull her hand back. "If you must know, _Adrien_ , I'm not really...well...sane."

"I find that hard to believe." Yes, he had heard it from Sabrina, and technically this girl was confirming it, but there still was a possibility that she was just _playing_. Maybe she had overheard their conversation and was playing along? But on the other hand...she was just a little _too_ interesting to be completely normal.

"Hmm..." Her red eyes locked on the teacher rambling about random things she really wasn't interested in. "Fine, maybe I'm not _entirely_ _,_ but I'm getting close."

He tilted his head. "How so?"

She chuckled, her smile turning a bit deranged. "I have done some... _questionable_ things. Why don't you ask my parents? They're better at explaining than I am."

The boy blinked, not really expecting that, but he still agreed because...why the hell not? Marinette was interesting. He knew that what he was doing was dangerous, but as far as he was concerned, Gabriel wouldn't know she existed; he'd make sure of it.

* * *

"..."

Marinette's eyes were locked on him almost eagerly, like a child awaiting someone's reaction after having seen their drawing. "So? Didn't I tell you? Some rumors are true."

Adrien's eyes ripped away from the wall and locked on her, a small smile playing at his lips. "Maybe I was wrong about you."

"People usually are," she shrugged. "But-"

"You're even more interesting than I thought."

She blinked, her deranged smile fading and being replaced by child like wonder. Her eyes stayed glued on him for a few seconds before they lit up and she shook her head while chuckling. "Like I said, you're strange."

They turned and walked out of the door, quietly talking to each other. And as they left the rotting corpses of Marinette's parents behind, Adrien knew he wouldn't have to worry about her. She'd be able to protect herself from his father, he was sure of it.

Blanc landed on the roof of a random building, surprised when he found Miss Fortune standing there and staring up at the night sky, her yo-yo dangling from her fingers. He crept up behind her, well-aware that she knew he was there but didn't move an inch. His white clad arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back toward his chest and nuzzling his face in her neck. "What's wrong?" He mumbled softly.

Miss Fortune pulled her yo-yo back, her grip tightening on the toy in her hand as her eyes stayed focused on the stars and the moon. "When we fought Volpina and Queen B earlier..."

He frowned. "Yes?"

"Queen B seemed to know you."

"You don't make it really hard to guess when you keep saying my name in battle."

"No," she shook her head. "I mean personally."

He tensed. "What...?"

"The moment I said your name...she ditched you and moved on to me, she absolutely _refused_ to fight you." She pulled away from him and turned around, red eyes shining with anger.

Blanc relaxed when he saw her expression, smirking slightly. _"_ _Ma_ _chéri_ _,_ are you jealous?"

Miss Fortune's eyes narrowed. "Do I have a reason to be?"

"No," he smirked, grabbing her gloved hands and pulling her closer. He looked at her with glowing yellow eyes, amusement still shining in them. "Perhaps she knows me," he shrugged. "Big deal, I don't know her and I don't even _want_ to know. Besides..." His eyes turned hooded and he pulled her even closer. "Why would I? You're here, aren't you?"

"Adrien, you better-"

He cut her off, one of his arms snaking its way around her waist as he captured her lips, pressing with a little more force than needed; smirking when she gave in. He pulled back the pressure a bit, allowing the kiss to slow down so her lips wouldn't end up bruised and his father wouldn't notice. Not that he cared, he honestly didn't give a shit, but she did, and she'd kill him if they got scolded for his actions _again_ _._

He was tempted to just say 'screw it' and go all out when she whined softly and forcefully tried to pull him closer, but he knew she'd just get upset later. Besides, they had all the time in the world. Blanc pulled back and grinned down at her, smirking when the sixteen year old girl glared at him, her breath coming out in soft pants. "Stupid cat," she muttered, and his grin just widened.

"Like I said..." He breathed. "You've got nothing to worry about, because-" he leaned forward, lips at her ear as he quickly whispered something before running off the roof. She stood there, frozen for a second, before rolling her eyes and swinging her yo-yo to follow that damn cat. His promise of _j_ _e_ _t'aime_ still echoing in her mind.


	15. Bonus 2

_**Sorry if this seems a bit rushed, I'm on my dad's laptop so my time is limited. But here's a small surprise for you!**_

* * *

"So...who's Bridgette?"

Félix nearly choked on his coffee at the question while Adrien simply hid his smile by taking a sip of his milkshake. He had just returned from a day out with Marinette and came home to find his older cousin flipping through the pages of an old book with a bored expression on his face. The green eyed boy had been talking to him for a while now, aware of the fact that Félix wasn't all that interested; but at least he made the effort to _pretend_ to listen.

However, Adrien found it interesting how the sapphire eyed boy _immediately_ reacted the moment Bridgette's name was mentioned. He didn't even seem all that bored anymore.

"How do you know about her?" He asked calmly, managing to keep his cool even if he was _obviously_ startled just a second ago.

Adrien shrugged, a grin on his face and his eyes shining with cat-like mischief. "I'll tell you if you answer the question."

Félix narrowed his eyes and sighed. "She's just a girl from back home," he answered curtly. Not offering any other explanation, even when his younger cousin raised an eyebrow in question.

"A _special_ girl?"

Félix nearly shivered at the thought. "No, she simply followed me around, if you really want to know."

He did _not_ like the look on Adrien's face.

The boy in question grinned cheekily. "Well, if you had _listened_ to what I was saying before, you would have known why I asked."

"Which is?"

His grin widened, and Félix _really_ started feeling uncomfortable.

"She's in Paris."

The man froze, mentally repeating what the boy just told him. Bridgette was in _Paris?_ Sure, she liked following him around, even if he was being cold to her, but even _she_ wasn't persistent enough to follow him all the way to Paris, right?

...Right?

"Before you start filing a restraining order," Adrien began jokingly. "She didn't come here because you were here, she didn't even know you were here to begin with."

"The fact that you said that in past tense worries me."

The boy suddenly seemed nervous. "Yeah...about that...um..."

Félix rolled his eyes, deciding it could only go downhill from this point, so why bother hiding it? "Just spit it out, Adrien."

"She's been telling Mari all about you and she just _happened_ to let slip that you were here!" He blurted out quickly, looking anywhere but him as he fiddled with his ring.

The blond haired man sighed and closed his eyes. He shouldn't be really surprised, it was _amazing_ how far his bad luck could go. It would only be fitting that his cousin's girlfriend just happened to tell his 'stalker'-

Wait.

"Why would she tell Marinette about me?" He questioned, frowning.

"Oh!" Adrien perked up, that knowing smirk reappearing on his face. "She's Marinette's cousin. She's actually visiting for the week since she hasn't seen them in a year or so."

Félix sighed. Why not? Nothing surprised him anymore.

* * *

Bridgette Cheng* was a...special case.

She looked a lot like Marinette, some people even confused them as sisters (although they _did_ act like they were); and despite the major age difference between them, people _still_ managed to mix up the names...which is the whole reason Bridgette grew her hair out while Marinette preferred to keep hers relatively short.

Bridgette was a sweet woman, always smiling and trying to help others. Honestly the only flaw she had was that she was a little...

"MARINETTE! YOU'VE GROWN SO MUCH!"

...expressive when it came to her emotions. And loud, _very_ loud.

Marinette smiled happily as her older cousin hugged her tightly, ignoring the way the woman's pigtails got in her face in favor of hugging her back. After Bridgette had placed her stuff in the guest bedroom and she had greeted her aunt and uncle, she and Marinette wasted no time in catching up and went outside; deciding they could talk while Mari showed her around.

They ended up at an ice cream parlor, peacefully eating their ice cream while talking about random things that didn't really have any meaning. Honestly, the two were just happy to be with each other again. They had been inseparable as kids, always looking for the other at family gatherings and occasionally meeting up outside of school. Even when Bridgette started going to college they met up, it wasn't until Marinette moved to Paris that they got separated.

In the middle of their conversation, a certain cat crashed through the window and into the booth next to them. He quickly got up and smiled sheepishly at all the people looking at him before shooting a wink at Marinette and jumping back out the window. The girl in question narrowed her eyes and followed him with her gaze, sighing when she spotted her boyfriend fighting an Akuma whose powers were based on light.

After having arrested the Hawk Moth from their world, Ladybug and Chat Noir had brought Nooroo to Master Fu, where they were sure he would be safe. It was quiet for the couple of weeks after that, but when another Akuma appeared, they knew something was wrong.

When Ladybug had cleansed the butterfly, they immediately went to see the elderly man; that was when Nooroo explained the problem.

Apparently Gabriel had been suspicious of his son's identity for a while now, and when Adrien suddenly started acting distant and strange, he suspected something was wrong. So, he forced the butterfly Kwami to his limits by creating as much Akumas as possible and starting all over again when Nooroo had rested a bit. That way, even when Gabriel had been captured, the Akumas could still cause quite some trouble. He even made it so that the Akumatized victims would try their best to free him.

The only reason the butterfly Kwami hadn't mentioned it before was because he figured that it wouldn't work; he didn't have a host anymore, so why would his powers still work? He was proven wrong when the first Akuma attacked though.

Gabriel had abused Nooroo's power so much that he couldn't even turn the Akumas back, which led to Ladybug and Chat Noir being needed for a little while longer. Not that they minded, in fact, they were relieved that they were still needed.

"Who's that?" Bridgette asked, furrowing her brows.

"Chat Noir," her cousin answered, quickly pushing her ice cream cone into her free hand. "Bridge, I'll be right back, I really need to go to the bathroom."

"What? Mari, wait!" By the time Bridgette realized it, Marinette had already rushed off; leaving her alone with two ice cream cones in her hand.

She was content with staying there and waiting for her cousin to show up, but when a certain ladybug-themed hero showed up at the scene, her curiosity got the better of her and she put Marinette's ice cream in a cup on the table; having already finished hers.

The blue eyed woman stepped outside, following the scene with curious eyes, mostly focusing on Ladybug. She didn't know what it was, but the young hero seemed _very_ familiar for some reason. She absentmindedly followed the heroes and Akuma when they backed away into another part of the town, not really paying attention to her surroundings or anything that was going on. She yelped in surprise when she tripped, but luckily for her, someone caught her before she fell.

"You really ought to watch where you are going."

Bridgette looked up with a surprised expression, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw who had caught her and was _still_ holding her up with his hands on her waist.

"Félix!" She squealed happily, her cheeks heating up a bit as she didn't hesitate to throw her arms around him. She was aware of the fact that she was acting like a high school girl, but seeing him just had that effect on the twenty-three year old.

The man in question stiffened before gently pushing her off him. "You haven't changed a bit, have you, Bridgette?"

Unlike Marinette, Bridgette wasn't really shy and was more straightforward. She didn't bother to hide her affection for the man as she clasped her hands together in front of her and smiled lovingly at him. "I'm just happy to see you, Félix!" She answered softly, unknowingly tilting her head sideways slightly as she talked.

Even _Félix_ had to admit she looked...cute when she did that (he never said that!) but that didn't change the fact that the girl in front of him was prone to stalking him. But from the looks of it, he had to get her out of here.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," he told her calmly, looking behind him at Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting the Akuma.

She smiled softly. "As much as I'd love to, I can't-"

He cut her off. "Let's, uh, go out for coffee or something."

 _"Really?!"_ She squealed and he flinched.

"You're so loud..."

That seemed to snap her out of her little love struck world and she glanced at the ice cream parlor. "I really can't, my cousin is there and I just can't leave her alone when it's so dangerous out."

"She's safe," a voice behind them spoke up. They turned to see Ladybug standing there, her yo-yo in one hand, she was smiling at Bridgette, despite the wary look she shot Félix. "I made sure everyone in the area got escorted to a safe place the moment Chat crashed into the parlor, you two are the only ones left behind. Trust me."

Bridgette narrowed her eyes, the feeling of familiarity increasing the longer she stared at the hero. Félix seemed to notice, because he didn't waste any time as he dragged her out of there.

Ladybug's eyes narrowed and she swung her yo-yo, heading back to Chat.

He blocked an attack with his staff before grinning at her. "Welcome back, my Lady."

She didn't respond, instead focusing on the Akuma as she swung her yo-yo and the wire wrapped around her.

Chat picked up on her uneasiness and frowned. "What's wrong?" He asked as he ran forward and knocked the Akuma down.

Ladybug shook her head and tugged on the wire to make sure it was secure and held it steady as her partner headed for the victim's hairclip. "Do you think Félix knows?"

The green eyed hero tensed at the odd question, if he was honest, he had been wondering that too. Félix always seemed to be there when an Akuma attacked and always asked if Adrien was okay after an attack. Other than that, he hadn't shown any other signs of knowing about them being heroes. "I'm not sure," he answered, tossing the hairclip at her.

She caught it and snapped it in two, catching the Akuma and cleansing it. "Well, he seemed dead-set on getting Bridgette out of here when she kept looking at me."

"Maybe he just tried to keep her safe?" Chat questioned, shrugging. As much as his cousin wanted to deny it, Félix was a good person, and, if he liked it or not, he seemed to care about Bridgette...in his own weird way.

* * *

The two adults walked around Paris silently, which was odd. Under normal circumstances, Bridgette wouldn't have stopped talking, she wasn't even clinging to him like she used to when they were in school. Who knows, maybe she had grown up?

But as he glanced down at her, he knew that wasn't the case. Her brows were furrowed and her lips were forming a small pout, which she was clearly doing unintentionally. Something was on her mind, that something was most likely Ladybug.

"Are you alright?"

Bridgette jumped in surprise before looking up and nodding, a smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm just worried about Marinette, that's all."

He sighed. "You heard Ladybug, she's safe."

"It's still my job to worry though, wouldn't you do the same for your family?"

"No," he answered immediately, before Adrien popped up into his mind. "...yes."

She smiled happily. "See? It's only natural."

He hummed softly, thinking about his next words for a minute before speaking. "So how've you been?" Félix kept telling himself he was just doing this to distract her, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious. He hadn't outright _missed_ her, he just...had to get used to living without a constant annoyance around.

Yeah, that's what she was, an 'annoyance'.

The woman blinked up at him, the surprise much clearer this time. "You...you actually want to know how I've been?" She confirmed.

He rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

He could practically see her eyes lighting up as she beamed at him, not bothering to hide it. She was happy to inform him on what she had been doing ever since they last saw each other. And, he didn't know why, but he found himself oddly intrigued as he watched her use her hands to talk as she completely lost herself in the conversation. He was so focused on her that he even noticed the slight shiver of her body.

"Are you cold?" He asked and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she shook her head.

"No, I'm fi-" she yelped when she felt a sudden warmness around her body. He had shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Bridgette took a moment to take in the scent that had become familiar to her before realizing what she was doing. "Félix, honestly, I'm fine. You'll get cold and-"

"Don't worry about me."

She studied him for a couple of seconds, smiling softly when she saw that he really wouldn't take no for an answer. It was probably his way of being nice.

"Marinette told me you were Adrien's guardian," she blurted, smile still on her face. "You always said I was wrong whenever I insisted that you were kind and could be loving, but this just proves I was right."

He paused, not having expected that.

He stayed quiet for the rest of the walk, until they sat down on a bench in the park. "You really have faith in me, don't you?"

Bridgette smiled up at him, as if she had expected that question. "Of course I do, people always keep insisting that you're cold and mean-"

 _Because it's probably true,_ he thought.

"-but let's be honest, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if that was the truth."

His eyes widened and he stared at her in surprise. Sure, he was aware of her unhealthy obsession with him, but he didn't think that she actually...

"Do you mean that?"

She hummed in response, carefully leaning her head against his shoulder. She smiled when he didn't make a move to push her away, apparently she had hit a nail with her words.

"Bridge!"

The woman looked up and smiled when she saw her younger cousin standing a few feet away from them. "Mari!"

She got up and was about to head over to her before pausing and moving to shrug off Félix's jacket.

"Keep it," he instructed and she stared at him in surprise before smiling warmly and nodding. She waved at him in goodbye before jogging over to her cousin and hugging the girl tightly, all the while scolding her for making her worry.

Marinette laughed and smiled at Félix, catching him off guard a little. Normally, Marinette's smiles were always polite and formal when it was directed at him, probably because he seemed a little unapproachable. But this time, it was warm and friendly, maybe it had to do with the happy look in Bridgette's eyes.

"So you do have a heart," a voice said from beside him, and Félix rolled his eyes.

"Very funny, Adrien."

The green eyed boy grinned and watched the two girls leave. "Just admit it, Fé, you like her."

"And you're delusional, come on, let's go."

Adrien smirked knowingly but didn't say anything else.

* * *

 _ ***I figured the 'Dupain' part of Mari's name came from Tom, so it would make sense that Bridgette didn't have that part in her name.**_


End file.
